Dangerous Secrets
by Ookami Youkai Ali
Summary: A search and rescue mission becomes a mission to protect. Throw in a few new characters and this is the result. Could love blossom? My first fic so I'm not good with summaries. Disclaimer in 1st chapter. Rated for later chaps. Chapter 20 is finally up!
1. The Mission revised

Hello reader. I just wanted to let you know a little more about this story before you get to reading it. I began this story as a gift for a friend. I wrote her a story and she wrote one for me. Well, that was at the start of high school when my writing skills were not, let's say, up to par. I've since graduated and am heading for college. Also, I've finished writing the story and am in the stage of typing and posting it. This is just a pre-disclaimer/warning/notice to inform you that the first few chapters may come off sounding juvenile. I don't really plan on re-doing them at the moment though I may change my mind in the future. I promise the content gets better as the story goes on so don't be discouraged by the first few chapters. I believe it is a decent story worth reading if you have the time. And who knows, if I get enough reviews I may go ahead with my plan to post the sequel as well. Thanks. -Your humble authoress

_A/N: Hi! This is my very first fanfic ever. I've already written most of the story and I'm working on getting it typed up. I hope you enjoy it. Please review! I'd really like to know if my first story is a hit or if it is a total bore. I warn you, the first chapters might be a little stupid ('cause they're the _first _chapters of my _first _fic) but just bare with me. I promise it will get better. If you don't think it gets better, then, I'm sorry. OK, enough of my babbling. On with the story. Oh yeah, things said in italics (in the story P) are thoughts. K, I'm really done now, promise!_

**Disclaimer** I don't see the point in doing this because if I _did _own YuYu Hakusho I wouldn't be writing out the storylines here. But, to make all you people and lawyers happy, I'll do it anyway. OK. clears throat YuYu Hakusho does _**not**_ belong to me! That good enough for you? Good. I do, however, own the idea for this story. I won't bother telling you how I came up with the idea 'cause that'd be a big waste o' time. Unless you really want to know, then just let me know in your review. So now, on with the story!

**Chapter 1: The Mission**

"Guys, I have a new mission that needs to be taken care of. I think I'll only need two of you to go. Any volunteers?" No one moved. They were all still exhausted from their battles in the Dark Tournament. "Don't everybody jump up at once," said Koenma sarcastically.

"I'll go," Yusuke said. "After all, I **am** the leader."

"I will go as well," stated Kurama. "Yusuke and I can handle it on our own."

"Thanks Kurama. So, what's this new mission you have for us Koenma?" Yusuke asked. "It'd better not be anything too hard; I'm still tired from fighting Toguro."

"It shouldn't be hard. It's just a search and rescue mission. We don't know much about this girl except that she's amazingly powerful and may not know it herself."

"What, is she blonde?" Yusuke chuckled.

"No, and that was rude," scolded Koenma.

"Sorry."

"If I may ask, sir," Kurama queried. "Why doesn't she know that she's powerful? You'd think someone with immense power would know it."

"Yes, you would, and she may very well know about it. However, this girl is a strange case. We've tried to get her before but failed. You must not fail! I'll open a portal near the coordinates where she was last seen and you two can work from there."

"Have fun you two. I'll be sleeping 'til you get back," said Kuwabara, yawning.

Hiei was standing there quietly, resisting a strong urge to insult Kuwabara again. "Yeah, go save the stupid damsel in distress. Just don't underestimate her. If she's as strong as Koenma says she is, she probably won't come without a fight."

"Whatever," said Kuwabara. "What's some little girl going to do to them anyway? Slap them around a bit?"

"Why is it that every word that comes out of your mouth is completely stupid?" Hiei ranted.

While Hiei and Kuwabara argued, Koenma was giving some final instructions to the two mission-bound boys. He also gave them a warning. "Listen to what Hiei said. Don't underestimate this girl. We don't know what she's truly capable of. When you manage to locate her, just tell her that you're going to help her. She should come willingly and you can probably avoid a fight."

"Right," said Yusuke. "Let's get going then." He and Kurama leave through the portal that has appeared, Kuwabara and Hiei are still arguing, and Koenma is starting a pile of paperwork.

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_heavy breathing_ Someone was running, running through the dense forest. Another was chasing. _Stop chasing me. Just stop! Leave me alone. I just want to be left alone._ She stops running and faces her pursuers. She takes a defensive stance as her chasers get closer to attack. She dodges their attack and they stumble, nearly falling over the edge of the steep cliff into the rocky waters below. The attackers lose their balance however and fall. She hears the thud of their bodies on the rocks below and she runs away again, back into the forest where she seeks refuge. _Why do people keep chasing me? What do they want with me? I wish they would just leave me alone._

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Our heroes arrive at the edge of a dense forest that seems to go for miles in all directions. "So she's somewhere in there?" Yusuke asked. "How the hell are we supposed to find her in this huge stupid forest?"

"We're just going to have to locate her energy and follow it. Well, let's go."

They walked aimlessly about for what seemed like hours. "Hey Kurama. How long have we been walking?"

"Judging by the sun, only an hour and a half," he replied.

"That's it? I swear we've been walking for three. Wait a sec. How can you even see the sun through the thick branches?" It was true that the canopy was so dense that little light shone through. "Anyway, are we any closer to finding anything?"

"No, sorry. But if you were a little more focused and if you tried a little harder, we might find her before the end of the week."

"Hey! Was that sarcasm coming from you Kurama? I'll have you know I am trying very hard. I'm just so bored!" Kurama rolled his eyes and laughed at Yusuke's childlike manner.

"Well try a little harder ok? We need to find this girl. She could be in danger and it's most likely why Koenma sent us to rescue her."

"You're probably right," Yusuke said, all of a sudden more serious. _If Koenma's worried about her we should really get moving to help her._ "Let's move!"

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A young girl was sitting in a tree thinking to herself. _Why do people chase me? What did I ever do to them?_ She looked out over the ocean from where she sat. _It's so peaceful. Like me. If only..._ She sensed two powerful energies coming towards her. _Oh no, not again! Why can't they just leave me alone?!_

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"I think I've found her!" Yusuke shouted.

"Yes, I sense her too," Kurama replied. "Let's go! We have to get to her before anyone, or anything, else does!"

"Right. C'mon!"

They began running in the direction they sensed the energy coming from. Yet just as quickly as it appeared it started to fade. _No!_ thought Yusuke. _Koenma will kill us if we don't bring her back safely!_

"She may be trying to mask her energy to keep us from finding her," Kurama said as he noticed the worried look on Yusuke's face. _We can only hope._

They ran until they reached the edge of the forest. Or at least where the forest ended and the cliff started.

"Whoa!" shouted Yusuke, nearly falling over the edge. "That was too close for comfort."

"I agree," said Kurama. He then began sniffing the air.

"What are you doing?" Yusuke asked.

"She's still here."

"Huh?"

"I can smell her. She's nearby,... there! Up in that tree!" They both look up and see a figure in the tree.

"It's gotta be her," Yusuke said. But as he said this, the figure in the tree jumped down and began to run away. So Kurama and Yusuke chased her. As they were running, the girl they were pursuing tripped on an unearthed root and fell flat on her face.

"Don't be afraid," Kurama said to her. "We're not here to hurt you. We only want to help." They watched her stand up. As they were able to see her more clearly, they couldn't believe their eyes.

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_A/N: OK, how was that? Good? Bad? Should I continue this? All reviews are welcome, including flames. Just keep in mind that this is my first fic so don't be too harsh. Ummm, I guess that's it for now. I'll try to update as soon as I can. Byeness! xP_


	2. The New Girl

_A/N: OK. Here's the next chapter. Thank you guys so much for reviewing. It means a lot to me. Responses are at the end. On with the story!_

**Chapter 2: The New Girl**

"Are you sure she's the one?" Yusuke asked Kurama. "She certainly doesn't look powerful."

It was true and Kurama couldn't help but wonder if this was not their mystery girl. She was probably about 5'5" and she had shoulder length light brown hair. Her eyes were a perplexing color, almost a cross between bluish-gray and silver and they were slightly hypnotic. He felt himself starting to daze while staring at her unique eyes. Yusuke started talking to her and snapped him back to reality.

"So, who are you? And why do you hide in this stinkin' forest?"

The girl just stood there for a moment, not saying anything. She seemed to be deciding whether or not she could trust these two strangers. Finally, after a few moments of awkward silence, she spoke. "My name is Ali and I hide here to hopefully keep people from chasing me, not that it's stopped them." She had a sing-song voice and despite the fact that she was a little dirty from living in the woods, she was actually quite pretty. One couldn't help liking her right away.

"Who are you guys and how can you help me?"

"My name is Yusuke and this is my friend Kurama..."

"Pleased to meet you," Kurama said with a smile.

"...and we'd like you to come with us."

"How will going with you help me?" Ali asked sweetly. Kurama noticed she had a soft voice that was positively angelic. Yusuke seemed to have noticed it too because he was blushing. Most likely it was partly due to embarrassment.

"That's a good question," Yusuke said. "Kurama?"

"Well, um, you see, we were sent to rescue you and bring you back to our, um, boss. I believe he means to offer you some sort of protection." Kurama could hardly believe what he just said. To him, he sounded like a mob boss's henchman trying to reel in a rich sap.

Ali obviously didn't catch it. She seemed to be thinking it over in her mind for a few minutes. She agreed to go with them. It appeared she trusted them and she hardly knew them.

They began walking. They walked for a couple of hours, no one saying anything. Yusuke and Kurama kept taking glances back at the girl, partly to make sure she was still there, and to try and make some sense of her. Every time they looked back, she was smiling. She didn't seem to have a care in the world. For all she knew, they could be assassins luring her into a trap. Why did she trust them so easily?

"Do you think we got the wrong girl?" Yusuke whispered to Kurama so that Ali couldn't hear.

"That's what I was wondering. Yet she fits the very vague description Koenma gave us and she did try to defend herself as though we were about to attack her," Kurama whispered back.

"Yeah, but plenty of girls could fit that description. And wouldn't you defend yourself if you were being chased by total strangers?" He stole a glance at her. She was admiring the scenery and smiling to herself. "Besides, I don't feel any energy coming from her," he said, looking back again.

"She could be masking her energy," Kurama stated as though that were the obvious answer. They walked on silently for another five minutes. "Didn't we pass by this spot before?"

Yusuke looked around. "Yeah, we did. And here's proof," he said as he bent over to pick up a picture of themselves with the rest of the gang. "Must've slipped out of my pocket."

They looked around. Everything looked the same. They had no idea how they got there and so had no idea how to get back. "Well my friend," Kurama said to Yusuke, "I believe we are lost."

"That's just great! Keiko's gonna kill me! We had a date tonight and I'm gonna be blowing her off again. You know that'd be the 6th time this month?" Yusuke ranted.

"That's funny considering today's only the 8th," Kurama replied with a chuckle.

While the two of them argued about his date and about how to get out of the forest, Ali disappeared into the canopy.

"By 'this month' I meant in the past three or four weeks, not this particular month!" Yusuke shouted.

"Yeah, I know," Kurama replied. "I just had to say that." He laughed at his joke. Yusuke rolled his eyes and noticed that the girl was gone.

"Hey Kurama!"

"What?"

"Where'd she go?"

"Crud," Kurama said. "We gotta go find..." Before he could finish she plopped down in front of him. "There you are! We thought we'd lost you."

She looked up at him, bewilderment in her eyes as if asking him 'Why would you be worried about me?' But instead she just said "I can get us out of here in no time at all, and you won't be late for your date," she said to Yusuke.

Kurama and Yusuke looked at each other, both obviously confused. "How can you get us out?" Yusuke asked.

Ali giggled. "Well I live here don't I? I should know the way out." She smiled. "C'mon, let's go. It's this way."

She led them out of the forest within 45 minutes. They were glad they found her and had her help getting out of the woods or they might've still been in there.

"Wow. Thank you," Yusuke said.

"Yes, we appreciate the help," Kurama stated with a smile. Ali couldn't help but notice his beautiful green eyes and she felt she had to smile too.

"You're very welcome," she replied.

Yusuke then whispered to Kurama, "Now all we have to do is get her back to Koenma and we can get on with our lives."

They walked to where the portal back to Spirit world was and went through it. It brought them right into Koenma's office. Ali seemed amazed at the experience through the portal.

"We've brought the girl as you asked sir," Kurama said to Koenma.

"Thank you. You two may leave now. I need to speak to the girl alone." Yusuke and Kurama looked at each other quick before heading out, each wondering what Koenma had to say to the girl that they weren't allowed to hear.

"So," said Koenma, in his "suave" teenage form, "it's been a while hasn't it?" he asked her.

"Excuse me?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"

"A few years ago, a team of highly trained individuals were sent to retrieve you, but they disappeared, as did you. When you were spotted recently, I was ecstatic! I thought you had died when you disappeared."

"Oh," she said. For a few moments she was silent, thinking this over in her mind. After an awkward silence, she spoke suddenly. "What do you want with me? Why is everyone out to get me? Why can't you people just leave me alone!!!"

Koenma told her to calm down. "I know this must be frustrating for you. It must seem like everywhere you turn, there's someone after you. I merely had you brought here to offer you protection from those who pursue you. Please think about it and let me know, soon would be nice. I won't rush you though so take your time. Just know that we can help you."

Ali sat there, thinking again. _How can he say he can protect me when I can't even protect me? Well, I know i can trust him. After all, he _is_ prince of the Rekai. I'll bet that Yusuke is one of his spirit detectives. I suppose I could get used to it here._ "Ok, I'll stay. I'll take any protection you can offer me." She smiled again.

"Great! I'll have Botan show you to your room, and tomorrow you'll meet everybody." He called for Botan and she entered.

"Yes sir?" she asked.

"Please show our new friend here to her room"

Botan looked from Koenma to Ali then back to Koenma with a slight puzzlement in her eyes but also with a smile and said, "Yes Koenma, sir. Please follow me, um, what was your name?"

"Ali," she replied with a giggle.

"Right. Follow me then." Botan led Ali down the hall, up a flight of stairs, down another hall, and into the fourth room on the right. "Here's your room. My room is next door if you ever need me I'm done working in half an hour so you'll just have to hang tight until then."

"Thanks, I think I'll be fine." Botan left Ali to get used to her new surroundings. She was very tired from all the day's excitement. She lay down on the bed. _I can't remember the last time I slept in a real bed._ She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

_A/N: Ok I know, not much of a cliffhanger, but I can only do so much. Some chapters will be better than others I assure you of that. But for now I just wanna know what you thought of this one. Was Kurama's joke completely lame? I don't really care, I thought it was funny. So did my sister. Anyhoo, please review! In the meantime, here are the responses I promised. Byeness! xP_

**PersonXtheRandomEncourager: **Here's more!! Did you enjoy this chapter? I know that cliff was evil (both of the story and in the story :P) and I'm very sorry. You know? It took me a few times rereading that statement about the cliff before i understood what you were saying. Don't mind me, my brain's just fried from so much studying for midterms. That's why it took me so long to update. So let me know what you thought of this chapter and I'll update as soon as I can!

**SamiKismet:** Yay! You found my story!!! I was looking forward to your review and I'm glad to hear that I kept the charcaters in their place so far. I think I did throughout the story. (I have up to chapter 12 written but not typed.) I can't wait to get this going but at the moment I have midterms and such to keep me from posting, though not from writing. And I promise it gets much better!!! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter as well please!


	3. Meet Ali

_Hey there everybody! I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. If you check out my profile i've added an update. I don't want to ramble on here so I'm just going to get to the story! I hope you enjoy! _

**Chapter 3: Meet Ali**

The next morning Ali woke up feeling refreshed. She looked at the clock; it was only 6:30. She had always been a bit of an early riser. She decidedto take a shower and found a bathrobe in the closet. The bathroom was just down the hall and the door was wide open so no one was in there.

She went in, closed the door behind her and turned on the water. She took off her clothes and got in. The warm water running down her neck and back felt nice and she reveled in the feeling. _It's been a long time since I've had a nice hot shower._ She finished washing, got out and put the bathrobe on.

She was coming out of the bathroom when she saw Botan coming out of the room next to hers. "Good morning Botan" said Ali, smiling as always.

Botan looked up, a little startled. She obviously had not been up for very long and said"Oh, good morning Ali. I see you're up and clean already. My goodness, what time is it"

"It's only about ten after seven. I'm kind of an early bird" Ali said.

"Whew, I thought I'd overslept. Care to get some breakfast with me"

"Sure" Ali replied and followed Botan to the kitchen. It was huge. She could have probably fit half of her forest in there. Botan walked to a smaller kitchen, about the size of a normal kitchen, and started to grab a bowl from a cupbaord when she remembered her guest.

"Oh how rude of me! I didn't ask you what you wanted to eat" she said.

"It's ok. I'll have whatever you're having."

"How's cereal sound? Good enough"

"Sure, I'm not picky." Botan poured them each a bowl of Fruit Loops. They sat at the counter eating quietly. Botan was reading her morning itinerary and Ali was just looking around, taking in her surroundings. The counter she was sitting at was in the middle of the small kitchen. Across the way she saw a sink, next to the sink was a dishwasher. The refrigerator was on her left and next to the fridge was the stove. All around were cupboards, most likey containing all the food of the place.

She finished eating and rinsed her bowl clean. She put it away where she saw Botan get it from. "Hey Botan" She looked up from her papers. "Do you have any clothes I can borrow? I need to wash mine; they're the only things I have and they're a bit dirty."

Botan looked at her for a moment and then said"You know? I have the perfect outfit for you! You can wear it for today and then later we'll go shopping."

"Really" Ali asked. "Thank you so much"

"You're welcome" Botan replied. "C'mon. Let's get you that outfit." Ali followed her to her room and Botan picked out a cute blue top and a comfortable pair of jeans for her. "That outfit is positively adorable on you" she exclaimed. "You know what? I almost never wear those anymore and they're a perfect fit for you. You keep them."

"Are you sure" Botan nodded. "Thanks! Now, I've got to go dry my hair before it dries like this" she giggled. She went back to the bathroom and found the blowdryer. Once her hair was dry, she left the bathroom and headed back to her room.

On her way out of the bathroom however, she bumped into someone. "Oops, sorry, I wasn't look- oh, hey Kurama" she said, her silver eyes shining and looking up at the red-headed kitsune.

He looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. "Are those Botan's clothes" he asked her.

"Yup. She said I could wear them for today until we go shopping for some clothes of my own. Actually, she said I could keep them. And hello to you too" she said smiling and he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked.

"Sorry" he said with a sheepish grin. "Did you eat breakfast yet" he asked her, hoping that she hadn't so he could invite her to join him.

"Yes I have, with Botan earlt this morning. But if you have no one to accompany you, I'll join you" she replied.

It wasn't exactly what he was hoping for but _since when do we ever get exactly what we want?_ he thought. "That's very kind of you." The two went down to the kitchen where Koenma was getting himself some breakfast. (Lately he had been staying in his teenage form.) "Good morning Koenma" they said together.

"Oh, good morning Ali. Kurama. What are you two up to" he asked, noticing the fact that they had come down together.

"I was just going to get some breakfast when I ran into Ali" Kurama told him.

"And I said I would join him so he would have some company" said Ali. "But since you're here he doesn't need me anymore, am I right" she asked with a playful smirk.

"Well, um, why don't you stay? Three's company" Kurama said. He was enjoying having her around. To him it was like having a younger sister around. He had only known her for a few short hours yet he felt as thought he'd known her forever.

She smiled at him and said"Actually, I've gotta go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." She turned around and left the kitchen as they watched her go.

When they were sure she was out of earshot, Koenma said"You know? I just can't help liking that girl. She's so friendly."

"I agree" Kurama said. "I was just thinking that I feel as though I've known her for ages rather than mere hours."

"I know what you mean" replied Koenma. "Hey, listen. I'm having a meeting at 11:30 today to brief you all on a new mission. Botan will see to it that Yusuke and Kuwabara are there. Would you please make sure Hiei is there"

"Sure" he replied. Ali walked in soon after. They chatted as they finished their breakfast and Ali was about to leave when Koenma stopped her and told her to stay behind for a minute. They walked to his office.

"Ali, I'm having a meeting today with Yusuke, Kurama, and two others on their team. The topic of the meeting is your protection. They are all extremely powerful and should be capable of this assignment. Of course, you'll have to come. I need to introduce you to the other two members of their team" Koenma stated matter-of-factly.

"Ok, I'll be there" Ali said. The next few hours flew by and before she knew it, Ali was on her way to Koenma's office for the meeting. Koenma had told her to wait in his office but from what she could tell, the meeting was going on in the room adjacent.

"Good morning boys" Koenma said to them. "As you all know, yesterday Kurama and Yusuke went on a search and rescue mission. It was successful and the girl seems content with the new accommodations for the moment. As for your mission, it is to protect her at all costs. She holds immense power, enough that if she falls into the wrong hands, she could be forced to use her power to destroy all three realms."

"Excuse me sir" Kuwabara interrupted. "If she's so powerful, why does she need bodyguards? Can't she protect herself" Hiei actually agreed with him, which was probably a first.

Yusuke and Kurama were wondering the same thing when Koenma said"She doesn't realize that she has this power or how to use it. But those who are after her do, and they'll force her to use them unless you guys keep her safe." He finished speaking and everyone was quiet for a moment.

Kuwabara broke the silence by saying"Well where is this mystery girl? Hiei and I haven't met her." When he said this, Koenma called for her to come in.

"Guys, this is Ali."

_A/N Well, that's the end of chapter 3! Please review! I really need the feedback! Thanks. Until next time._


	4. Shopping!

_A/N: Hey! I'm back! Well, it's Friday so of course that means another update. I've decided I'm going to turn this into like a saga or a series or something because, psychotic as I am, I've already been formulating ideas for a sequel and even one after that. The curse of having an active imagination. Oh well. It's like 8 o'clockish as a I start typing this. I wonder what time it will be when i finish, considering I'm watching Joan of Arcadia and later on it's Numb3rs. :P Ahhhhh! I'm rambling again! Why do you people let me do this? Fine, here we go >:3 (new fave face if the little carrot thingy works)

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**Chapter 4: Shopping!**

Ali smiled. "Pleased to meet you!" she said.

Everyone sat for a few moments in silence, wondering what to say. It was becoming an awkward silence and Kurama decided to break it. "Hello Ali. How are you?"

She gave him a funny look. Hadn't he just spoken to her a couple hours ago? "I'm fine," she said after a couple seconds. "I've already met you, Kurama, and you as well Yusuke, but I'm afraid I don't know you too," she said, indicating Kuwabara and Hiei.

"I'm Kuwabara! You don't hafta worry anymore no that I'm here!" he said with his usual stupid grin. Ali giggled and Hiei rolled his eyes.

"We all will," said Kurama. "Isn't that right Hiei?" Hiei stood there for a moment, staring at Ali and trying to see what she was thinking, but for some reason he couldn't. _That's weird_, he thought. "Hiei?" Kurama asked again.

"Yeah," he said, and left. _There's something weird about that girl. I can't read her mind. Hn. Oh well, I'll figure it out one way or another._

Ali watched him go and couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with him. Yusuke walked over to her. "Ah, don't let Hiei get you down," he said.

"Yeah, he's always doin stuff like that," Kuwabara told her. "Usually he's just a sarcastic little jerk. And I do mean "little"!" He laughed at his own joke as Kurama, Yusuke and Koenma just rolled their eyes. Yet to everyone's surprise and amazment, including Kuwabara's, Ali started laughing too. No one quite knew why, but as she started laughing, so did everyone else. It was infectious.

When their little laughing fit was over, Ali said "Well, it was nice meeting you Kuwabara, but I have to go now."

"Where?" the four said in unison.

"Botan and I are going shopping. My only clothes are kind of raggedy and these are her's, so we're gonna go shopping to get me some of my own clothes." Ali smiled and started to leave.

"Wait!" shouted Kuwabara. "I'll come with you!"

"What!" yelled Yusuke, Kurama, and Koenma. "You hate shopping."

"No I don't! You guys are imagining things," he said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "besides," he continued, "we're supposed to protect her." Ali giggled and his dumb grin got wider.

"You better protect your head from my fist," Yusuke muttered under his breath.

"We'll all go," suggested Kurama, thus halting Yusuke's attack. "Besides, what's a better way to get to know each other?"

They left to find Botan and go shopping. Botan and Ali wandered around in different stores while the guys watched in fascination. They never understood the joy of shopping. While the girls went into one store, the boys got thirsty. So Kuwabara and Kurama left to get them all some drinks and left Yusuke to keep an eye on Ali.

Botan was at the back of the store, looking at a clearance rack that had a top she'd been looking for. Ali had remained at the front, looking at some jeans. Yusuke didn't think she should be by herself so he went over and joined her. "Hey," he said, "whatcha lookin at?" He was a little uncomfotable because shopping wasn't his forte.

"I'm debating whether I should try these jeans, or this skirt," she answered half-heartedly as if to herself. "What do you think?"

"Me? Well, ummm." He looked at both items. "Why don't you try them both?" Ali looked up at him and smiled. At this moment however, Keiko was walking by with Shizuru and Yukina. They had not yet met Ali.

Shizuru noticed Yusuke and said, "Hey Keiko, I thought you said Yusuke had some important business to attend to."

"Yeah, that's what he said. Why?"

"Look over there," she said, pointing to the spot where Yusuke was with Ali, who was smiling up at him. The next thing they knew, Keiko was storming over to Yusuke. She was clearly infuriated.

"So! This is the "business" you had to attend to!" she hollered while giving Yusuke a few good slaps across the face. "You're such a jerk!"

"Keiko, stop it!" Yusuke yelled desperately while managing to block the outstretched hand that was attempting to add another mark to his already bruised face. "It's not what it looks like!"

"I've heard _that_ one before!" she yelled. Ali stood there trying, but failing, to surpress a laugh. Keiko was taken aback by the fact that she was being laughed at. She was obviously shocked and slightly confused.

"I'm sorry," Ali said. "You must be Keiko. I'm Ali. I hope Yusuke wasn't too late for your date last night. You see, Koenma sent him and Kurama to come and rescue me. Now he wants them to protect me. That's the only reason he's here with me and not you."

"Actually Kuwabara dragged me along with them," Yusuke muttered.

"Kazuma's here?" asked Yukina?

"Yep, and so are Kurama and Botan," Ali told them. After their little spit over Yusuke, she and Keiko got along fine. She decided on the skirt and went to make her purchase with Botan who had found what she was looking for. As they left they met up with Kurama and Kuwabara.

"Yukina! I had no idea you were here!" shouted a very excited Kuwabara. They laughed and decided to go get some lunch somewhere. Ali was happy to have so many new friends. Now that the whole gang had met her she had quite a few. They were all her friends.

Except for Hiei. He was the only one who didn't seem to like her. Then again, he doesn't like anybody. Nevertheless, he was the only member of the team not helping to watch over Ali. He was off somewhere on his own, thinking to himself. _There is something very peculiar about that girl. Something is blocking my ability to see into her mind and I doubt it's anything good._

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_A/N: Wow, how easily distracted I am. it's now 11:30ish. I'm not that slow a typer, it's just, well, you know, the usual. Friends wanting to chat, television being on with something good on. :cough:NUMB3RS:cough, music playing that I enjoy dancing to, falling asleep at the keyboard... Augh! why am I so tired! it's not _that_ late. :sigh: Oh well. It's winter break so I get a whole week off. Maybe I'll be able to update before next Friday. :P Well, until i return! In the meantime, here's the responses to reviewers. Only one this time. TaTa!_

**SamiKismet:** Thanks for the tip! I try to keep that in mind, especially as I go back and re-write the chapters. At this point I'm already up to chapter 15 so going back and seeing how far I've come since beginning really amazes me. I know what you mean about stories being more interesting if their shown so I am trying to work that into my first few chapters. I think I've done it well throughout the rest of the story thought, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. Well, as I've said in my profile, Ali isn't my real name, but I thought that it was the girl from Ravemaster at first before I learned her name is Elie, not Ali. Either way, I still love the name so I use it on See you next chapter!


	5. Trouble

_A/N hey guys! sorry it's been so long, but once again, it's friday! And once again, I have another chapter to post. Wow, I'm up to posting chapter 5 already! In my notebook I have written up to chapter 15 and about half of 16. Man, going back to the beginning of my story is kind of fun. I can't wait till we get to the next few chapters, it gets really fun :D Well, enough of my babbling, here's the next chappy!_

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**Chapter 5: Trouble**

Ali was in her room, putting away her purchases in the mahogany dresser. She had truly enjoyed herself that day and found herself smiling at the thought of the days events. After their little spat over Yusuke, Ali and Keiko got along great. It seemed that everyone had enjoyed their time together at the mall. She couldn't help but smile.

_Why am I always so cheerful? _she wondered. _There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of demons after me because of my abilities, and yet, I'm always smiling._ She puzzled over it. _I suppose I do it so as not to worry those around me and to comfort myself._ She decided that was her reason for being happy all the time.

Meanwhile, sitting in the tree outside the window of her room, was a certain fire demon who was keeping an eye on her. He was soon joined by the red-headed kitsune who came to make sure Hiei wouldn't do anything stupid. "What are you doing here Kurama?" Hiei growled.

"Keeping an eye on you. I might ask you the same question," Kurama replied.

Hiei ignored him. "Don't you notice something strange about that girl? She's definitely not just some ningen girl with special abilities. I've seen how you idiots all act when she's around."

Kurama seemed slightly confused. "What are you talking about? What do we do differently around her that we don't do around other people?"

"Hn. Well for one thing, you all practically worship the ground she walks on," Hiei remarked.

Kurama was taken aback. "No we don't!" he retorted. "We're just trying to make her feel comfortable!"

"I'm sure she won't be so keen on you once she finds out you're a demon," Hiei said.

"And I don't doubt she already knows!" Kurama yelled back. Ali looked out her window. There was no one there, but she was sure she heard someone. She got into her pajamas, turned out the light, and got into bed. She was asleep almost immediately. Hiei and Kurama came back to the branch when the light went out.

"Way to go, baka." And with that, Hiei left. Kurama stayed for another five minutes, wondering to himself if she knew he was a demon. She had to. He would ask her tomorrow at breakfast. Was Hiei right though? About his assessment that they worship her as though she were a goddess? He'd have to check this out too. He left after shortly after Hiei and went home to go to bed.

But not too far off, a pair of yellow eyes were watching. As soon as Kurama was gone, the creature was about to make its move. _Yes, the window is wide open! I can get in and out in a flash with the girl and my master will be so proud of me!_ it thought to itself. _NO!_ Hiei had come back, sensing that danger was lurking nearby, and was not about to leave Ali unprotected. _I'll have to get her another time,_ the creature in the shadows thought.

* * *

Ali woke up the next morning at 8 o'clock. She'd had a rough night. While she slept, she had many terrible nightmares that she couldn't explain. _Everyone's probably worried about me, considering what time it is and the fact that I told them I'm usually an early riser._ She stretched and yawned and got out of bed. She got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast. There was no one in the kitchen except for Hiei who hadn't noticed that she had come in. "Morning Hiei," she said.

He looked up from the bowl of cereal he was eating. (a/n- isn't that cute! xD) He didn't say anything, unless "Hn." counts as speaking. Ali decided she was going to make herself some scrambled eggs. "Want some?" she asked Hiei.

He looked at her like she had three heads before he declined. "No," was his curt reply.

"Suit yourself," was all she said back. She got out a pan and cracked a couple eggs. Within a couple minutes they started to sizzle and she mixed them around with a spatula. Hiei watched in fascination. Every motion was fluid and careful, as though she had done it all her life. But hadn't she lived in the woods her entire life? This just didn't make sense to him.

He was broken out of his trance when Kurama came in. "Oh, good morning Ali. I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you," he said as he went over to her and embraced her as though he'd known her for much more than just two days. Hiei was shocked at this, but of course he didn't show it.

"I slept in this morning," Ali replied, hugging Kurama back. This was too much affection for Hiei and he got up and left. He didn't go far, though, and was still listening to them.

"Any particualr reason why?" Kurama asked.

"I had trouble sleeping last night." This statement worried Kurama and apparently it showed because then Ali said, "I just had some bad dreams is all. Nothing to worry about."

Kurama still wasn't entirely convinced, but her smile reassured him. He sat and talked with her while she ate. By now, Hiei had gone away to be by himself somewhere. Had she sensed him there last night? Is that what kept her up? Or did she sense the same danger that caused him to stand guard by her window all night? Not knowing bothered him.

About half an hour later he saw Ali walk by. _I wonder where she's going?_ he thought. He shrugged it off._ Oh well, it's not like I care._ So he decided to take a nap.

Ali was walking to find a quiet place to think. Everyone was crowding her and she wasn't used to so much attention. After all, just a few days ago she was living by herself in the forest. Now she could hardly get a minute alone.

She found a tree that looked over the ocean. She was just glad that her new home wasn't far from it. She loved the peacefulness of it, always had. She decided she could definitely get used to living here.

Ali was just starting to doze off when all of a sudden she sensed something coming right for her. A demon! And she could tell that this demon wasn't friendly!

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_A/N Ok, this chapter's done. I'll have the next one typed up no later than next week. I'd like to start posting more frequently, but alas, Friday nights are the only nights I'm assured to get a chapter typed and posted. Again, it's like 11:40 as I finish this. :P I'm hoping the story will pick up from here. It's going to get better now, I promise! Well, buh-bai! TTFN! (Go tigger! xD)_


	6. Ali's Premonition

_A/N: Hey guys! I am sooooooooooooo sorry for not updating. I've just been so busy with school work and the musical my school put on (it went great in case you were wondering) plus rehearsals for my church choir. Honestly, I've felt so bad for not updating. But the good news is, it's not because i lost inspiration! In fact, I finished writing it! All 19 chapters! And work on the sequel is already in progress. Well, you've waited over a month to read this so I won't make you wait any longer. Wow, i think this is the first time I'm not typing on a friday! hehehe. Ok, enough of my rambling, on with the story! xD

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**Chapter 6: Ali's Premonition**

Hiei jumped immediately when he sensed the presence of an unfriendly demon heading straight for Ali. Then he sensed another energy, which he assumed to be Ali. Moments later, one energy vanished and Hiei was afraid that he was to late. He was surprised but extremely relieved when he found Ali safe. "What happened here?" he demanded to know.

"Well, I was starting to fall asleep when I sensed a demon coming at me. I looked up just in time to dodge it and I was only defending myself! All I did was give him a good hard kick to the head!" she replied nervously.

"I'll say..." Hiei replied as he looked at the newly departed demon. It's body laid on the ground without a head in a pool of it's own blood. As he looked around, Hiei noticed the head a few feet away under another tree. "You sure you only kicked it?" he asked quizzically.

Ali seemed apprehensive and she looked as though she wanted to cry. "I didn't mean to do that! It was an accident," she said, her voice quivering.

Hiei stared at her with an eyebrow raised. "An accident?" he stated in disbelief.

She still looked like she was about to cry, but she quickly regained some composure and no tears fell. "yeah," she said. "When I forget to meditate, I sometimes can't contain my strength and I lose control a little. With all the excitement of the past few days, I haven't meditated. I left by myself to find a quiet place to do just that. This spot is peaceful enough, but then that demon attacked my." As she finished, Hiei noticed her brush away the single tear that began to roll down her cheek.

"So, if you had meditated recently, that demon would have captured you?" Hiei asked.

Ali shook her head. "No, I still would have been able to fight back. I just wouldn't have finished him off so quickly and brutally." She sighed. "When Koenma gets word about this, I won't be allowed out of the castle. And I have to meditate, especially today."

They stood in silence for a few minutes. Hiei seemed to be thinking about something. "How long?" he asked.

"What?"

"How long do you need to meditate?" he asked again, slightly irritated.

"Oh!" she said and closed her eyes to think it over. When she opened her eyes to respond she said, "At least an hour. Maybe more, it all depends. But definitely no less than an hour."

"Ok, I'll stand guard while you meditate, but only for an hour," he stated. "After that you go home."

"Thank you Hiei," she said with a small smile.

"Hn," and with that he left.

Ali laughed softly to herself. _He's not such a bad guy after all,_ she thought. She jumped up into the tree and onto a branch that she found suitable. She sat down and closed her eyes. She evened her breathing and drifted off into a trance. Anyone who might be passing by would think she'd fallen asleep sitting up. A light breeze was blowing and her gently flew with it.

Hiei wasn't far off and he was watching her intently. Maybe this was the reason she couldn't sleep last night, he wondered, because she hadn't meditated? She certainly seemed peaceful now. Hiei shook his head. _What are you thinking? Have you gone soft? What do you care if she is able to meditate every day or not? It's not your concern. _Just then, Hiei sensed something coming. _Great, this is just what i needed._

He jumped down from the tree, katana unsheathed and ready to cut down whatever was coming. He was surprised when he realized he was about to attack his best friend and closest ally. "What are you doing here?" Hiei asked him.

Kurama, slightly shocked that Hiei had nearly taken his head off, said, "I was looking for Ali. I sensed danger and was worried because I couldn't find her anywhere. Have you seen her?"

"Hn. Yeah, I've seen her," Hiei replied, "and i wouldn't get to close to her if I were you. Unless you want to end up like that pitiful excuse for a demon." He gestured to the decapitated demon that still lay on the ground unmaved.

Kurama gasped in shock. "Ali did that?" he asked in disbelief. "What happened?" He looked around to locate the head and cringed when he finally saw it.

"That thing attacked her while she was trying to meditate and she turned around and kicked it in the head. Or so she tells me," Hiei explained.

Kurama looked around. "So, where is she now?" he asked. Hiei pointed up into the tree above them. "Oh," Kurama said. He waited with Hiei for Ali to come back from her trance. When the hour was up, she was still meditating and they were worried what would happen if they interrupted her. They waited a few more minutes and she eventually woke up. "Ali!" Kurama yelled to her.

She jolted her head in the direction of his voice. "Oh, hey Kurama," she said. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a quick glance to Hiei.

"I was worried so I came looking for you. Nice job on that demon by the way," he replied with a smile. Her features quickly changed and she seemed nervous again. He thought it was because of his last comment. "Ali?" He then noticed that she wasn't looking at him, but rather past him.

"No," he heard her say and saw her eyes spread wide. He looked at Hiei who looked equally confused and worried. They both turned back just in time to see her pass out and fall from the tree.

Hiei was quick and caught her before she landed on the ground. "Ali!" he yelled, hoping to wake her up. Kurama came over to aid Hiei in waking her up. He had a canteen of water and poured some of the contents onto her face.

She shook her head and sputtered, surprised by the cold water running down her face. She jumped up and almost attacked them. When she realized what she was doing, she said, "Oh, it's just you guys."

"Ali, what happened?" Kurama asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

Hiei didn't want to waste any time. He just cut to the chase. "You went catatonic, passed out, and fell out of that tree. What happened?" he asked agitatedly.

"Oh," she said. "I... was just tired from meditating. It was nothing" she lied. They both looked at her with eyebrows raised. "Really!" she protested. There was no way she could tell them what she really saw.

"Alright," said Kurama. "But you're going back to Koenma's." He took her by the hand and led her away towards the castle. Hiei watched them go and couldn't help but have a bad feeling in his stomach.

When she was back in her room, she sat down on the middle of her bed to think about what she had seen. There was no doubt about it, she'd had a glimpse into the future. She tried hard to remember what she saw. She remembered she was being chased in a forest. It was getting darker and she didn't see the root that tripped her. When she looked up, she saw her protectors fighting off an infinite army of demons and each one was defeated.

She shook her head in an attempt to get rid of the haunting images in her mind. She knew only one thing; she had to get out. She couldn't stay with them. If she did, their lives would be in danger and she didn't want to risk that.

Ali found a small bag in her closet that she had purchased the day before. She put two outfits, a brush, a canteen of water, and mouthwash in it. She figured that was all she would need considerig she had lived on less before she moved into Koenma's castle. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, slipped on her shoes, and climbed out her window. She jumped to a branch on a tree that was right outside the window of her bedroom. She jumped down and ran as fast and as far as she could. A voice inside her head told her to turn around but she didn't listen and didn't even look back

* * *

Back at the castle, Kurama was pacing in Koenma's office. He went to tell Koenma what had happened with Ali. Koenma was in a meeting so he had to wait. Hiei had warned him not to tell Koenma, but he had gone anyway. He was feeling uneasy about the events of the afternoon and he hoped Koenma could help alleviate his worries.

"Hello Kurama. You wanted to see me?" the pint-sized ruler came into the office and sat down at his desk. Apparently he took his teenage form when Ali is around but remained as a toddler the rest of the time.

"Uh, yes," Kurama stammered. "I'm concerned about Ali." He was still debating whether or not to tell him about the demon.

"Yeah, yeah, and? What's wrong?" Koenma knew when his detectives were keeping somehing from him and now was no exception.

"Well, a demon attacked her this afternoon," Kurama said.

"Oh my, is she alright? She isn't hurt, is she?" Koenma worried.

"No no, she's alright. She did a number on the demon though. She defended herself with a kick to its head and decapitated it by doing so," Kurama explained. "Afterwards she told Hiei she needed to meditate. When she came out of her trance she went catatonic and passed out." As he finished, Koenma was pondering what to do.

"Hmmm, bring her to me please," Koenma ordered. "I must speak with her." Kurama nodded and left to retrieve the new girl. When he got to her room, he prepared himself for a severe scolding.

He knocked on her door. "Ali? May I come in? It's Kurama." No answer. "Ali? Are you in there?" He opened the door and went in. She wasn't there and her window was open. _Oh no._ He ran out of her room and into Botan's. He startled her; she had just come from the shower. "Sorry!" he sais, quickly turning the other way. "Ali isn't in here, by any chance, is she?" he asked.

Botan looked at his back, blushing slightly because he had barged in on her. "No, she's not. And I haven't seen her all day. Why?"

"She's gone," he replied. "I can't find her anywhere and I think she might have run away."

Botan gasped. "Why would she do such a thing?"

Kurama sighed. "Well, she's had a rather rough day." He proceeded to tell her about the demon who attacked Ali and then about what happened at the end of her meditation period.

"Oh my, that's terrible," Botan exclaimed. "Poor girl, no wonder she ran away." She got up and went over to her window. "Where do you think she went?"

"My guess would be back to her forest, but she'd probably suspect that," Kurama said. "I have to go to Koenma and tell him Ali's gone." He left Botan's room and nearly ran into Hiei on his way back to Koenma. When Hiei asked him what his rush was, he replied, "Ali's missing."

"What!" Hiei yelled. "What did you do to her, you baka!"

"I didn't do anything to her! I took her to her room and went to talk to Koenma." He raised an eyebrow at Hiei. "And since when do you care?"

Yusuke and Kuwabara had just walked in to find a worried Kurama and a stunned Hiei. "Hey guys. What's going on?" asked Yusuke.

"I don't care!" yelled Hiei. "Our mission is to protect her and you lost her!"

"Ali's gone?" Kuwabara asked worried.

"Hn. The baka catches on quick," Hiei snarled. Yusuke had to hold back Kuwabara back from lunging at Hiei.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Yusuke yelled. "She can't be gone! Koenma's gonna kill us!"

"Urameshi's right," stated Kuwabara. "We gotta find..." he stopped short, sensing danger. The others sensed it too, and they knew that whatever it was, it was going after Ali!

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_A/N: Ok guys, there's chapter 6 for you. Normally, I would probably write more here but it's getting late and I have to sing in my church choir tomorrow morning for the Easter service so I wanna get to bed early. **Sami Kismet:** Thanks so much for reviewing again, I know what you mean about not being up to date with the updates. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter and I hope to update soon! See you next chapter!_


	7. Whisper

_A/N: Hey guys, I'm back again. Man, I'm was going to be on a roll two weeks ago. I was already getting another chapter posted and i even posted my TT fic! But my mom's friend from Philly came to visit for almost a week and completely took over the computer. And then I was so busy I wasn't able to get on. But my crush is working with me on a project! I feel so lucky! Well anyway, this chapter is a song-fic chappy based on Evanescence's song, "Whisper." I cut out the chorus after the first time i used it so it's not really the entire song. Just work with me here, you'll understand what I mean when you read it. So now i'll stop rambling and get on with the fic!

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**Chapter 7: Whisper**

Ali screamed as she was being chased by more demons similar to the one who had attacked her earlier. She was terrified and she lost her focus. As she ran, she tripped on an exposed root.

_Catch me as I fall_

She screamed again.

_Say you're here and it's all over now_

Someone caught her at the waist. She looked up and was surprised but relieved to see him. "Hiei!"

Are you alright?" Kurama asked as he ran over to her. Yusuke and Kuwabara had already begun to fend off the merciless demons bent on capturing Ali. She nodded affirmatively that she was fine, and Kurama and Hiei went off to join them. They had to protect her at all costs.

_Speaking to the atmosphere, no one's here and I fall into myself_

Even though they were there with her, fighting valiantly to protect her, Ali had never felt so alone. She was scared out of her wits and wasn't quite sure why. She was never this weak before and she didn't particularly like the feeling.

_This truth drives me into madness_

Kurama, Hiei, Kuwabara, and Yusuke were fighting hard. The enemy seemed endless; no matter how many demons they managed to strike down, there were more to take their place. "Damn it!" shouted Yusuke. "There's just too many!"

"Don't talk like that, detective!" growled Hiei. "You obviously aren't trying hard enough." He looked back at Ali to make sure she was ok. She was far from it. There was fear written all over her face and she was slightly catatonic. "Ali!" he yelled and they all looked back to see what was wrong with her.

_I know I can stop the pain if you will it all away._

She couldn't shake the feeling of dread, of the emptiness that came with the thought of failure and her capture. The Tantei were fighting to protect her and she was just sitting in a state of shock. When they turned back to look at her in response to Hiei's outburst, the enemy took advantage of their distracted state and lunged at them.

_Don't turn away! (Don't give in to the pain.)_

The Tantei quickly turned and counterattacked. Kuwabara took a blow to his stomach and fell to the ground. He wasn't down long and scrambled back up to continue fighting.

_Don't try to hide. (Though they're screaming your name.)_

Ali had stood up and was watching in horror as her vision played out in front of her. It was horrible the first time she had to see it and she wanted to run as far from the battle field as possible. The tears were streaming down her face and she sank back down to her knees.

_Don't close your eyes. (God knows what lies behind them.)_

The battle was growing difficult. The boys had been fighting hard against an endless army. "Where the hell are they coming from?" yelled Kuwabara as he sliced a demon in two with his Spirit Sword. Hiei also sliced one to bits and mentally berated Ali for leaving so late in the afternoon. The sun was beginning to set and it was getting dark.

_Don't turn out the light. (Never sleep never die.)_

The Tantei were getting tired, Ali could tell, but she had no idea what to do about it. All she could do was watch and pray that they would prove her vision wrong and be successful. Kuwabara was not faring well; he had been fighting hard from the very beginning and was starting to lose his focus.

Yusuke had been fighting just as hard but was not yet showing signs of slowing down. Ali figured it was because he was the stronger fighter. He punched a demon in the gut and sent it flying back into a tree. Kurama and Hiei were also fighting valiantly and were not backing down yet either, though Ali knew they were all feeling the strain and would not last much longer.

_I'm frightened by what I see, but somehow I know that there's much more to come._

Suddenly the demons' relentless attack strengthened and they overwhelmed the Tantei. Ali watched in horror as Kuwabara was struck down. "Kuwabara!" she yelled. "No!" Yusuke was furious that the enemy had managed to defeat his best friend. In a rage, he summoned up the last of his energy and blew away at least a hundred demnos with his Spirit Shotgun.

_Immobilized by my fear, soon to be blinded by tears._

Yet even this effort was not enough to take care of the cursed creatures because it seemed a hundred more came to take the place of their fallen comrades. They ganged up on Yusuke and effortlessly defeated him as well. "Yusuke!" shouted Kurama as he whipped the demons off Yusuke's unconscious form. He turned to his remaining teammate. "Hiei, we must be careful. I'm worried that we won't be able to win!"

Hiei concentrated on the battle he was fighting but answered Kurama in a harsh tone. "Don't you start thinking that too!" he shouted as he sliced another demon in half. "We have to remain focused!" They continued as Ali watched, petrified. She knew how it would end, she'd already seen it.

_Fallen angels at my feet, whispered voices at my ear, death before my eyes... lying next to me I fear._

Just then, Kurama was ambushed and Ali feared the worst. Hiei was becoming exasperated. There was no way he could win all alone. _If she wasn't so terrified, the baka could be of some use,_ he thought. He had no idea how they were going to get out of this one. They usually counted on Yusuke to save them in a clinch, but he was down for the count. Hiei thought of calling on his trademark "Dragon of the Darkness Flame" but he didn't have enough time to react to the horde of demons that attacked him with such force that he too had been defeated.

_She beckons me. Shall I give in? Upon my end, shall I begin foresaking all I've fallen for..._

Ali watched unmoving as her vision came to a close once again, this time as a reality. She looked up and saw the demons coming for her. She couldn't stop her friends' destruction and her only wish was that she hadn't left her forest the other day with Yusuke and Kurama. They would not have been hurt if they had never met her. As one of the demons stalked over and grabbed her, she remained stoic tho a single tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek.

_...I rise to meet the end.

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_A/N: Ok, there's Chapter 7! I hope you enjoyed it and I apologize for the extended delay. I'm going to attempt to post chapter 8 tonight as well but I've been sick lately and I'm rather tired. (It's only 9:45!) I'm just going to get on with the responses to reviews so that I can attempt to start typing up chapter 8 and post it. Thanks for being so patient with me! I know it's tough during the school schedule. Don't work too hard! Ja matte ne and TTFN! ;)_

**Aeiko:** Thanks! I was ecstatic to get your review! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that someone thinks I'm doing a good job. I love G Gundam and Rurouni Kenshin! But I don't think I'd fare well writing any fics about them. I haven't seen G Gundam in so long it would be nearly impossible for me to keep the charaters in check. Though, I have wanted to write a Rurouni Kenshin fic. I just need Ideas! Heehee. I hope you come back and enjoy the rest of the story! (I've finished writing it and have already written some of the sequel. It just takes me a while to get them typed up. What with not having my own computer and all... Oh well) Stay tuned for the next update!

**Shadowkitsune7:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it! I'm so sorry for the extended delay in getting this posted but I'll try to get the next chapter posted ASAP. There's no way I'll get it posted tonight, I'm too exhausted. But I'll try for the end of the weekend or at least next weekend! I hope you come back for the next chapter!


	8. The Captive

_A/N: I'm sorry! It's been waaay too long since I last posted! I've just been so busy with studying for a wicked difficult final for AP Euro. I'm so glad that's over. Now we're watching Schindler's List in that class. Ok, I'm glad you liked the last chapter... at least I hope you did... P I'm just gonna get right on with it since I've already made you wait so long! (WARNING: Chapter typed up under the influence of chocolate, anime, Numb3rs, and Jem!)

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**Chapter 8: The Captive**

Ali woke up in a small, dark cell. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep or for how long, but she assumed she must have fainted when the demons captured her. She couldn't recall much from the journey to this cell. The last thing she remembered was seeing her friends defeated in battle and she was whisked away without ever knowing if they were still alive. _Where am I?_ she wondered. It was then she noticed that her hands and feet were bound by chains. She couldn't move. _Damnit,_ she thought. She looked around, wondering how she could possibly escape. _But how would I even get out of this room? There aren't any doors or windows._ She was surrounded by cement walls and there was only the pitch black darkness.

She heard footsteps coming and instinctively tensed her muscles, preparing for the worst. Then she noticed a faint light and realized a door had been opened. Something had entered the room, but she wasn't sure who, or what, it was. "Ah, I see you are awake. Comfortable?" the creature asked her.

She tried to make out if it was a demon but she wasn't entirely sure. "Hn, not particularly," she replied with a grunt of agitation. "Where am I? Why did you bring me here? And who are you!" she yelled.

"Patience," the mysterious being said as he flicked on a light. "All will be explained shortly." The light had revealed a small table with a single chair and a rather uncomfortable-looking cot. Ali noticed that the being in the room with her was not of the same race as the many demons she had encountered earlier that day but one of a different race. She was sure he was a demon, even though he looked human. Then again, she'd never seen a human with claws or pointy ears. His hair waslong, about shoulder-length, and jet black. His eyes were just as dark and were quietly taking in everything about her. He wore denim jeans with black combat boots and nothing but a cloak covered his top half.

"You have immense power locked away inside of you," he said, his voice cold and uncaring. "I am going to unleash it on the worlds. You will use it for me and destroy everything as I wish it. The worlds will fear the name, Hitokiri." He walked closer to her and bent down so his face was just inches from hers. "But you, you will call me 'Master'." His menacing smirk revealed deadly fangs.

Ali didn't flinch. She glared at him with a proud smirk on her face. "You're as foolish as the rest of them," she said, her voice no longer containing the kindness it usually held. "You don't really know what you're getting yourself into. No one ever knows, until it's too late. If you proceed with your plan, you will find out for yourself soon enough what I mean." Her blue-silver eyes were almost completely silver and glinted playfully, as if they knew a secret no one else knew. A secret that could be dangerous or deadly.

Hitokiri's manner changed slightly. He didn't think she'd noticed that her words had had an effect on him. His skin seemed slightly pale and his voice, when he responded, was a little shaky and nervous. "You **will** do as I say, girl!" he demanded, thus regaining his superiority. He slapped her and then left the room.

Once he was gone, Ali sat chuckling to herself. _Fool. He has no idea what he's dealing with. He will end up destroying himself by trying to use my powers for his own purposes. My _Master_ will cower before me._ She chuckled deep in her throat and was soon back to normal.

Hitokiri walked down the corridor, away from Ali's cell. He was feeling a little sick and his skin was rather pale. Her words had shaken him up and he didn't understand why. He as the mastermind here, not her. She was the captive and he was her captor. She should be trembling at his feet, not the other way around. Perhaps it was the cold tone she spoke with, each word coated with malice. Or maybe, it was her eyes? Yes, those eyes were what troubled him the most. They seemed to peer into his very soul and to know every one of his secrets. He shuddered at the thought and quickly dismissed it. _She's just a frightened little girl trying to be brave,_ he thought. _She doesn't even know what she's talking about, it's all a bluff. Yeah, that's it._ Having reassured himself, he continued to walk down the hall with renewed confidence. Yet, unbeknownst to him, Ali was cooking up an escape plan. It would be explosive and she wouldn't even have to lift a finger.

* * *

Hiei woke up among his comrades as they, too, were awakening. He looked around and realized that Ali was gone. He had no idea how long they had been unconscious but figured it was about an hour. "Damn it! We couldn't protect her!" he yelled.

"Don't worry," Yusuke said in an attempt to calm his teammate. He knew how much Hiei hated to fail. Turning to Kurama, he asked, "Did you manage to put a tracking device on Ali?"

Kurama nodded in affirmation. "Yes, I did. During the battle I was able to put it on her. I feared we wouldn't win so I thought to bring one." Hiei nodded, silently thanking his friend for having the foresight to bring a way of tracking Ali down in case they failed.

"Let's go tell Koenma we lost her," Kuwabara said solemnly.

"Don't talk like that," Hiei reprimanded him. "You're speaking as though she's dead and we'll never get her back."

Kuwabara was taken aback. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I was just-"

"Well don't!" Hiei interrupted. The other Tantei looked at him with eyebrows raised. Searching their faces in an attempt to find what was so strange, he retorted, "What!"

"Oh nothing," was their nonchalant reply. Hiei glared at them. Humans could be so strange sometimes.

"Anyway, we should get back to Koenma and see if we can track Ali down," said Yusuke. The others agreed with his plan and walked in solemn silence back to Koenma's castle. They didn't waste any time once they arrived and headed straight for his office. "Koenma!" shouted Yusuke. "We need your help to find Ali!"

"You lost her! What happened?" the young ruler demanded. Yusuke quickly explained about the demon attack and Ali's capture. For a while everyone sat in awkward silence.

_Hiei!_

"What?" Everyone turned to Hiei, thinking perhaps he had something to say. "Someone called my name," he explained.

"We haven't said a word shorty," Kuwabara said. Hiei looked utterly confused.

_Hiei!_

"There it is again!" he yelled. "Who keeps doing that?" he demanded. His teammates stared quizzically at him. Something was not right.

"Are you feeling alright, Hiei?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes, you're acting strangely," added Kurama.

"Just listen," Hiei said.

_**Hiei!**_

"There! Did you hear that?" They shook their heads. Each looked to another, all wondering if perhaps hiei had cracked. No, Hiei was tougher than that. Something was up.

_Hey Hiei, you idiot! Are you listening to me?_ He knew the voice. It was Ali! His friends were still staring at him and he told them to be quiet for a few minutes.

_Ali?_ he asked, just to make sure.

_Yes. About time you noticed. I need help!_ she replied.

_We know,_ he said. _We're determining your location now._

_I don't know where I am, but if it helps, my captor's name is Hitokiri. He wants me to use my powers to help him conquer the worlds. And in here, I can't meditate._ She sounded worried and he assured her they would be there soon._ I'm getting really sore. My hands and feet are bound by chains and I can hardly move._

He could hear the pain in her voice. _Be strong_, he told her. _I'll be there as soon as I can._

_You? Or you and everyone else?_ She had caught him in his slip-up. He wasn't quite sure how to respond since he wasn't even sure why he'd said it.

_Of course I mean everyone. We'll all be there as soon as we can._ She thanked him and he no longer had any contact with her.

By now, everyone thought he'd lost it. He claimed he was hearing voices and then he spaced out. They discussed amongst themselves theories to what was going on. Kurama suggested perhaps he was talking to someone. After all, he is a telepath. No sooner had Kurama proposed his idea than Hiei came out of his trance. "Ali needs help," he said.

"We know that, nimrod," Yusuke replied, somewhat agitated.

Hiei glared back at him. "No, I mean she really needs our help. Her captor, Hitokiri, has bound her hands and feet with chains. He plans to have her use her powers to destroy the worlds," Hiei explained.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, just a second," interrupted Yusuke. "How do you know all that?"

"Because she told me," Hiei replied. The team looked quizzically at him, not fully comprehending everything he was telling them. "Telepathically," he stated. He stopped short as he realized what he had just said. "We'll ask her later. First we have to find her."

"Well, I think I found her," Koenma said grimly. "She's in Makai."

"Then let's get going!" shouted Yusuke. Koenma gave them the coordinates and a portal appeared to transport them as close to the location as possible. They were not entirely surprised to find themselves in front of a large concrete fortress in the middle of a forest that surrounded them. "Is it just me, or is this like the favorite hideout for bad guys?" Yusuke stated.

The others shrugged. "Who knows?" said Kuwabara. "All we know is that Ali is trapped in there somewhere and we have to get her out." They came up with a plan and had Hiei try to relay it to Ali. They would need her help if they were to free her.

* * *

Ali could sense their presence outside of the stronghold. Hiei had told her telepathically that she needed to raise her energy enough so that they could locate her. She did so, but ever so slightly so as not to draw attention from Hitokiri. She knew they would not be happy about her capture and would want to go after him once they had freed her. Yet, she could also sense that Hitokiri was strong and would most likely not go down without a fight. She hoped that the Tantei would hunt him down and kill him.

She sensed them outside and did as she was told. A few moments later, the wall was blasted down. She was thrown against the opposite wall and saw Yusuke in his battle pose as the smoke cleared. "About time you guys got here," she said with a smirk.

"Hold still a minute," Hiei said as he sliced through the chains with his katana, thus freeing her hands and feet. She thanked him and stood up to face her rescuers.

"Where's Hitokiri?" demanded Yusuke.

"Why?" she asked, though she knew well the answer. "You've rescued me. What do you need him for?"

"Because," Yusuke continued, "if we don't go after him. He could try to come after you again." That was the answer she had wanted to hear.

"Fine," she replied, "but I'm coming with you."

"No Ali," Kurama said. "It's too dangerous. You could get hurt!" She could see the worry and concern reflected in his eyes and could hear it in his voice.

"I'll be fine," she said in a reassuring tone. "Besides, I've proven I can hold my own. I'm not just some silly little girl playing damsel in distress. He captured me and I want my chance to get my revenge." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him.

"Yeah, but-" he began but was interrupted.

"Let her come." All eyes were on Hiei now. "Do you really think it wise to let her out of our sight? He could be waiting for us to leave her alone so he can take her back. Or there could be others waiting for an opportunity to capture her and then we'd be spending the rest of our day on a wild goose chase. We need to keep an eye on her and we can't do that if we leave her behind, now can we?" Ali smiled, greatly appreciating Hiei's logical explanation for her tagging along.

"Fine, she can come," said Yusuke exasperatedly. "But you must be careful!" he ordered her.

"Don't worry, I will!" she said with her trademark smile. "You have to be careful too." They all nodded in agreement and ran out of the cell into the hall. There was going to be a major battle and Ali couldn't wait.

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_A/N: Okay, there it is! Chapter 8! I hope you enjoyed it! I sure enjoyed writing it. Not exactly the ending I had hoped for, but this is about the third time I rewrote it so it's just gonna stay that way! I really have nothing to say here, amazing! So I guess I'll get on with the reviews! Ja matte ne!_

**MoonShadowAra**: Ara:tacklehugs: You're reading my story again? YAY! xD Yeah, I've got to go read the next chapter in To Love a Demon. I loved that story! So when are you gonna write me the sequel, huh? P And I want another chapter from you! growls Anyhoo, thanks for reviewing! It makes me happy! I'll see you in school!

**SamiKismet**: I'm glad you enjoyed the last couple chapters! I know that author alert can be a pain sometimes. I've still got to go read your one-shot about Hiei. I've been so buy I haven't gotten around to it yet! Oh yes, and I got your e-mail too. I can't wait for new stories from you! xD Stay tuned for the next chapter. It's gonna be fun! Now that I've got internet on my own computer, I may be able to update more often! Ah, well. We'll see! See you next time!


	9. Vengeful Battle

_A/N: Hey guys! I am back once again! Amazing, ne? Well, seeing as how I have my own computer with internet access, I figure I might as well be typing up as many chapters as I can so I can make my deadline of a chapter a week. We'll see how well that holds true. Just for the record, I love Spanish! I have always been lucky to have awesome Spanish teachers ever since I started taking it in 6th grade. My current Spanish teacher, Sñra. Sanchez, burned me a copy of a totally awesome Spanish cd. WARNING: This chap written under the influence of said cd! P For now, here's chapter 9!

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**Chapter 9: Vengeful Battle**

The Tantei ran down the corridor, running down any and all who were in their way. They were searching for Hitokiri and would stop at nothing. Yet, everywhere they went, Hitokiri was nowhere to be found. Ali was becoming aggravated; she wanted him dead but he couldn't die until they found and killed him. She had just begun to interrogate a demon who worked as a guard when they sensed it.

Hitokiri was furious about Ali's escape and his anger was reflected in the mass of energy he released. He seemed to be calling them to him. "He's waiting for us," Ali said grimly as she started to run in the direction from whence the energy was emanating.

Kurama quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "No! It's too dangerous for you to run off like that. Let us handle it!" he scolded. He and Kuwabara ran ahead of her while Yusuke and Hiei picked up the rear. Ali apparently was displeased with this plan as she scowled the entire time. She mercilessly slaughtered any demon that got in her way and began to worry Kuwabara.

They noticed the change in her demeanor and were slightly frightened. If she was mad enough, Yusuke worried she might even kill Kurama and Kuwabara, not to mention himself or Hiei. But he knew they couldn't leave her behind, there was no way. She had to come.

Luckily, they didn't have to worry for too long. They had almost reached the top floor and could sense Hitokiri's energy getting closer the higher they went. They burst onto the roof and were surprised to find it enclosed in a glass dome. Hitokiri was standing on the opposite side of the "arena" and he was applauding them.

"I really must congratulate you," he said in an amused tone. "First, you manage to locate my stronghold. Then you destroy my property and steal my prisoner. You defeat the majority of my elite guards and you still have the gall to come after me. I'll admit, no one's ever made it this far before. But seeing as you've brought her this far, I'll be taking back what belongs to me."

"You dirty bastard!" yelled Yusuke as he lunged at Hitokiri. He easily dodged Yusuke's punch and threw one of his own to Yusuke's stomach. Yusuke was unprepared for it and was sent flying back into the wall.

"Yusuke!" shouted Kurama and Kuwabara as Hiei jumped in, katana unsheathed and swinging at Hitokiri's throat. Again, Hitokiri was able to dodge every blow and attempted to throw a left hook at Hiei. Hiei was faster though, and he was able to move out of Hitokiri's swinging range. Kurama and Kuwabara jumped into the fight and Yusuke, too, was back in.

Hitokiri smirked at them as he dodged each attack. "You people amuse me, but you are no challenge." He jumped up high into the air which suddenly seemed to get cold. He smiled a wry, fang-baring smirk and his dark eyes became completely black. He unleashed a blast of energy that sent all four spirit warriors flying in all directions.

"No!" Ali yelled. "Get up! You can't let him beat you!" She didn't want to be recaptured after this. All four stood to their feet once again, a little stunned, but not discouraged.

"You needn't worry," stated Kurama. "He is not as strong as he thinks. At least, he is not stronger than we are." Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei and silently agreed to kick things up a notch. Kurama pulled out a rose from under his hair and transformed it into his trademark rosewhip. Kuwabara, following Kurama's lead, summoned his Spirit Sword as Yusuke charged up his Spirit gun.

Ali watched in amazement at the fluidity of their teamwork. Kurama wrapped Hitokiri in his rosewhip as Yusuke blasted him with the Spirit gun. Unfortunately, Hitokiri managed to cut free of his bindings and dodge the combo attack. He laughed at the stunned faces of the fighters as they were suddenly pulled up into the air with him. He lunged at Kuwabara and knocked him to the ground.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled as his friend was knocked out. He quickly rounded on Hitokiri. "I'll kill you for that!"

"Oh will you?" retorted the demon. "You can hardly move, let alone attack me." He smirked. Yes it is quite a handy trick, being able to manipulate the air." Hitokiri flicked a finger and Yusuke was sent flying head first into the thick-glass dome.

Yusuke's thick skull was not terribly damaged, but he looked a little shaken. Nevertheless he smirked and said, "That's no great trick. I've got an Irish friend who can do that." Hitokiri ignored his comment and let him fall the twenty feet to the floor. Yusuke did not get up and Hiei was becoming aggravated. He attempted to swim through the air at Hitokiri. With one flick of his wrist, Hitokiri sent Hiei flying high up into the air and slammed him to the ground.

"Hiei!" Ali shouted with concern. Taking notice that this action had upset her, Hitokiri decided to play with Hiei a little more. A small, clear sphere appeared around Hiei's body and Ali could tell he was struggling to breathe. There must not have been any breathable air in the encasement. "Stop it!" Ali yelled.

Laughing at her desperate command, he refused. "No, I don't think I will. This amuses me." He continued to cause Hiei to suffer. Suddenly, an arrow flew out of nowhere and pierced his left arm. Stunned, he lost his concentration and the sphere around Hiei's body dissipated. Hiei fell to the floor, but landed on his feet and looked to see who his savior was.

There, standing before him, was Ali, with a bow in her left hand and an arrow drawn in the bowstring with her right. Hiei was just as shocked as Hitokiri. No one else saw, since the others were unconscious. Ali released the second arrow, straight for Hitokiri's chest.

"Do you honestly think I will let you do that two times in a row?" Hitokiri asked as he easily deflected it, sending it right back at her. She was surprised at how easily he deflected her arrow and for some reason could not move. Hiei took notice and was quick to bring her to safety.

"Thank you, Hiei," she said with a weak smile before she passed out. He set her down against the wall and stood up slowly.

"You're going to pay for that," he said as his bandana fell to the floor. The Jagan began to glow and a truly demonic aura surrounded Hiei as he lunged at Hitokiri. He was shocked by Hiei's rise in energy and power, but nevertheless he still managed to dodge or block every attack. He was about to counterattack when he saw the bandages on Hiei's right arm fall to the ground.

Hitokiri was no fool. He knew of Hiei's most powerful attack and knew it could bring about his end. He promptly sought a way of escape. His eyes landed on the unconscious Ali and his face lit up. Using his ability to manipulate the air, he lifted her up and over to him, using her as a shield. "Go ahead, summon your dragon," he said smugly. "She's better off dead anyway."

Hiei quickly called off his attack, realizing that Hitokiri was not about to back down. Snarling, he said, "Fine, there are plenty of other ways I can kill you." He was not about to risk her life. The mission was to protect her. If he killed her, there would be hell to pay.

Hitokiri smirked. "Hn, that's what I thought," he said, complacently amused. "You can't kill me because you're too weak. Caring for a worthless bitch like her." He laughed and glared at Hiei. "It proves you're a weakling."

Hiei was infuriated with these last few remarks. He lunged at Hitokiri and landed a right hook to his cruel face that sent him flying back into the glass dome. Hitokiri released his hold over Ali and dropped her. Hiei caught her as she fell. Now that she was safe, he called upon his Dragon of the Darkness Flame to finish off Hitokiri. "Hn. Who's the weakling?"

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama were regaining consciousness to see Hiei standing victorious over Hitokiri and Ali unconscious. "Nice job, Hiei!" Yusuke said. "Now let's get her back to Koenma's so she can get some sleep. Actually, I could use a nap too," he added, stretching.

"Why? You were sleeping like a baby just two minutes ago," stated Kuwabara.

Yusuke glared at him. "So were you! You idiot!"

"Oh yeah?" The two argued as Kurama went over to Hiei.

"I'll take her from you now. Unless, of course, you wanted to carry her." Hiei glared at him and thrust Ali into his arms.

"Hn, take her. I don't want her." He had started to walk away when Kurama spoke again.

"You, know, I wasn't exactly unconscious that entire time." Hiei stopped short and turned to look at Kurama with a questioning glare.

"What are you getting at?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh nothing," Kurama replied and looked away. He turned back a little bit and looked at Hiei. "You just fascinate me." He smiled and looked down at Ali who was sleeping in his arms. "I think you might just actually care about someone other than yourself."

"Hn. Don't make me laugh," Hiei retorted. "I was just doing my job. In case you'd forgotten, our mission is to protect her."

Kurama laughed. "No, I know full well the mission. I just think you're becoming attached to it." With that said, he walked back over to Yusuke and Kuwabara, who were about to pummel each other. "Come on you two, let's get going."

"Ok," they replied amicably and walked out of the room with Kurama and the sleeping Ali.

Hiei stayed behind for a moment, contemplating Kurama's comments. _Becoming attached? To her?_ He thought it over. "Hn. Ridiculous." That said, he left to rejoin his comrades.

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_A/N: Alrighty, there's chapter 9! Bwahahaha, I'm so mean to Ali in my story. Just to clarify something here. This is _**NOT**_ a self-insert. Although I like her name and use it here as my penname, "Ali" is not me! Some of her characteristics are based on myself, but she is more the kind of person I wish I could be. She gets cooler later, I promise. Right now she's kind of irritating but I think her attitude in parts of this chapter is rather interesting. Alright, you know what to do. Review it! Oh yeah, I've been meaning to mention this; Check out my friend's stories! her penname is MoonShadowAra and her yyh story is **Love Knows no Bounds**. It's kinda funny since she ends up including her version of Ali later on in the story. She didn't want her character by herself so she included Ali for her friend. It gets seriously twisted. ... Ew, not like that! Review! (My story or hers, whichever you fancy.)_

**SamiKismet**: claps Yay! Finally the alert worked! xD I almost e-mailed you to let you know, but obviously I didn't have to. So yes, Hitokiri had been planning something. (Actually, he was a little distracted and didn't notice until the wall exploded! xP) Did I do ok with the battle sequence? I'm still working on wording battle scenes just right. Chapter 7 was my first attempt, this one was the second. (And I realize I never exactly explained when Kurama was knocked out… but of course, he wasn't really. He saw the whole thing! Bwahahaha!) I was fast with this update, hopefully I'll have the next chapter by next Friday! (I'm working on that.) Stay tuned!


	10. Fun in the Sun

_A/N: Hey people! I'm once again back with another chapter. I know I promised to get it up within a week and I missed my deadline and I'm sorry. I've just been so busy studying for finals and crap. I've decided to do things a little differently this time. Instead of putting my rambling up here and responses at the bottom, I'm switching them around cause it makes more sense that way. And I meant what I said in my profile if you saw my little pet peeve thing. It doesn't concern you guys cause you've been so wonderful! (hugs and gives everyone a cookie) I thank you for reading this and your reviews make me very happy! Ok, on with responses and then the story! (Oh yeah, I don't remember if I said this before or not, but Koenma is in his teenage form throughout the rest of the story. He's so much cooler that way! .:beams:. Also, further on, when I mention the girls, I mean Keiko, Shizuru, Yukina, and Botan. Ali is special. J )Wow this chapter is long! O.o;_

**SamiKismet:** Thanks for the advice! I know exactly what you mean and I'll try harder to improve my writing. I'm sorry that chapter was so... anticlimactic. It was really my first attempt at a battle scene (and believe me, that was better than what was originally written in my notebook.) .:sweatdrops:. I will try to do a better job at showing rather than telling, but it will present a little of a challenge for me. I'm so inexperienced! This chapter is more of a fun, transitional chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

**InuBee:** Hey girl! Glad you like the story! Hope you'll continue reading it! (I've gotta finish reading yours! .:sweatdrops:.) Here's the next fun-filled chapter!

**Kumiko Nakashima:** Well hello there! I can't believe this, I think this may be the first time I've had to write more than two responses! P Glad you like the story, I hope you're still reading it! I can't wait for you to update yours. It's so good! Enjoy the chappy!

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**Chapter 10: Fun in the Sun!**

The Tantei arrived back at Koenma's office through the portal with Ali sleeping soundly in Kurama's arms. Koenma had been pacing since they left to rescue her and there was a bit of a path carved into the floor. He noticed them and rushed over to check that Ali was with them. "Oh good, she's safe," he sighed with great relief. His face visibly softened and relaxed to see her back in their care. "What about Hitokiri?"

Hiei smirked. "None can stand against the Dragon of the Darkness Flame and survive." His smug grin toned down a little though and he scowled. "Though he had me in a difficult situation and the onna had to get me out of it before I could kill him," he snarled. He didn't like the fact that he needed help from her in a battle.

Kuwabara and Yusuke were stunned that he would even admit to having help. They had been unconscious during that time and had no knowledge of the fact until now. They voiced their confusion. "What? When were you in trouble?" Kuwabara asked after a few seconds.

"Yeah, and what do you mean Ali saved you?" Hiei twitched slightly at the term Yuske had used to describe what Ali had done for him. He debated whether or not he should tell them what Ali had done to aid him and looked over to the couch she was resting on.

_Should I tell them?_ he wondered. Even though she was fast asleep, he could've sworn she told him, "No, don't!" He slightly raised on eyebrow at this and then thought, _Fine._ He was curious to find out for himself the secrets of this mystery girl. "She didn't "save" me, she just helped by distracting Hitokiri and giving me the chance to escape."

Now it was Kurama's turn to raise an eyebrow at Hiei. His gaze caught Hiei's attention and one look told him not to question the matter. He nodded in agreement, but couldn't help wondering what was going on.

"Very well then," Koenma said a little distractedly, though his eyes never left Hiei. "Kurama? Would you please take Ali to her room? I think it would be best to let her rest right now." Kurama obliged and went over to the sleeping Ali. She was so peaceful, he could hardly believe that merely two hours before she had been fighting and viciously attacking any demon that got in her way. Koenma dismissed everyone else too but told Hiei to stay behind.

Kuwabara and Yusuke returned home to go to sleep and Kurama followed suit soon after. However, back in Koenma's office, the Prince of the Reikai was questioning the cold fire demon. "Hiei, there's something you aren't telling me." He seemed apprehensious and Hiei wondered why. "What really happened in that battle? What exactly did Ali do to distract him?"

Hiei did not say anything right away, but stood staring back at him, his crimson eyes questioning. After a few moments he decided on his answer. "It's not for me to tell. If she so wishes, the onna will tell you herself."

When Koenma did not get the response he was looking for, he grew angry and he slammed his fist down on his desk. "Dammit Hiei!" he yelled. "When I ask you something, I expect a real answer. Do you forget who I am? What did she do!"

Hiei was a bit shocked at Koenma's outburst but he didn't flinch. He merely closed his eyes and turned around to walk away. As he walked away, he answered, "There's no need to yell. She didn't do any special thing. She only distracted him by shooting a couple arrows at him and broke his concentration."

Koenma thought it over and decided it was a good enough answer. "Ok. Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Very well. You may go. I have some business to attend to." Hiei nodded and flitted off, leaving Koenma to his business.

The next morning, Koenma summoned everyone back to his office. Ali was included since she was awake and the meeting concerned her. "Good morning everyone," Koenma greeted them with a smile. "I trust you all slept well?"

Yusuke interrupted his greeting and said, "Just cut to the chase Koenma. I've got other stuff I could be doing right now. What do you want?" His anxious eyes betrayed his irritated composure. He was blowing off Keiko again by being at the meeting.

Koenma sighed. "Fine, now use putting off anything with you guys." He stood straighter and took on a businessman composure. "Since yesterday's little incident, I have decided that Ali needs to be watched at all times." She was about to protest but he put up a warning hand to indicate he wasn't finished. "However," he continued, "I realize you need your privacy and meditation time and that it will be difficult to do that if you're always under surveillance. I'm still working that out." Ali nodded in agreement and understood. "For now, I'm relocating you to the apartment next door to Yusuke. You will be attending school with him from now on."

Ali's face brightened up at the news of getting out of the castle. "What?" Yusuke shouted. "Wouldn't she be safer here?" His proclamation put a damper on her hopes and she turned back to Koenma with sadness in her eyes.

"There is nothing for her to do here," Koenma replied. "Sure, she'll be plenty safe, but she'll be bored out of her mind. She might try to escape again." He turned to her with a stern look. She smiled sheepishly and quickly looked away innocently. She knew as well as he did that it was something she would do.

Kuwabara was very excited. "Sweet! Now you're gonna be comin' to school with us too! This is awesome!" He grinned his usual big dumb grin (a/n 1) and Ali giggled.

"Can't wait!" she said smiling.

"Good," Koenma interrupted. "Then you can go pack and add this to your belongings." He threw her a package labeled 'School Uniform'. Smiling, Ali left to her room to begin packing. Once she had left and he was sure she was out of hearing range, Koenma spoke again. "I'm not entirely comfortable with her new living arrangements. Even though she'll be next door to you, Yusuke, I still worry."

Kurama spoke up to reassure him. "I think she'll be fine. She's been living on her own for almost her entire life. We needn't worry too much," he said. Everyone nodded in agreement. Koenma agreed too and, being finished with the meeting, dismissed them. Yusuke and Kuwabara went to the arcade to avoid the wrath of Keiko, Hiei went off to be alone, and Kurama went to Ali's room.

"Come in!" she said cheerfully when she heard a knock at the door. "Oh, hello Kurama!" she greeted him with a smile. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you that very question," he said as he entered her room and walked over to her.

"Sure, I could always use some help," she said, her smile never fading. Kurama went over to the closet and emptied it for her. They talked while they packed her belongings into a suitcase they had found in her closet. The task did not ake very long since she did not own a lot of her own things. "Thanks for keeping me company, Kurama," she said.

"Anytime. Now let's get this stuff over to your new home," he replied as he picked up her suitcase and carried it for her. She opened the door and they walked out of it for the last time. Ali was very excited to be living on her own again and even more excited that she was going to school. As she walked out of her room, she came face to face with Botan. "Oh, hey Botan!" she said happily. "What's up?"

"I thought I would walk with you guys and help you get settled into your new home." She stole a quick glance at Kurama and he understood her ulterior motive. Koenma wanted Ali as protected as possible.

"Oh, ok. That's great! The more the merrier!" she said smiling. Kurama and Botan couldn't help but smile too. Having friends around made Ali happy and she was grateful for them. They walked together through a portal that would take them a few blocks from Ali's new apartment. As they headed towards the complex, they chatted.

"It is a lovely day," commented Botan.

"You don't want to go shopping again, do you?" Kurama asked, his voice hinting at worry. As much as he enjoyed spending time with them, he didn't particularly care for shopping.

"What? Don't you like shopping?" Ali giggled. They all laughed.

Botan continued. "Well, shopping is fun but I thought maybe we would go to the park or the beach after we had settled you in."

Ali practically jumped and shouted her consent. "That's an excellent idea! I absolutely LOVE the beach! Let's invite everyone!" The youthful excitement in her eyes made Kurama chuckle.

"Beach it is then. I don't see why we can't invite the others. You can call them when we get you home." If it was possible, her smile was even bigger than before. They had to keep her from running home and throwing things in drawers so she could call around and invite everyone to join them. She called Yusuke's cell first and he seemed agreeable. "Do you think Keiko, Shizuru and Yukina would like to come?" she asked.

"Yeah! Let's invite Yukina!" Ali heard Kuwabara shout excitedly in the background. "I mean, my sister and Keiko can come to, of course." Ali giggled. Kurama and Botan assumed it was Kuwabara she found amusing. Kurama left to go meet the two boys and they all got ready while Ali and Botan called the girls.

"We'd love to come!" exclaimed Keiko when Ali asked if they would be joining them on their excursion. Ali was happy to have the whole gang coming and they agreed to meet at the park. Botan and Ali arrived first and waited on a bench under the shade of a nice sakura tree. It just so happened that Hiei was sleeping up in that tree and Ali spotted him right away.

"Hi Hiei! Wanna come to the beach with us?" she asked. Botan looked up and saw him too.

He was staring quizzically at Ali. "Hn. No, why should I leave my tree, where I have lots of shade, and go out in the hot sun?"

She responded quickly. She had a mission to get _everyone_ in her group of friends to go to the beach and she was not going to give up. "Because you'll be having fun with all your friends! What more of a reason do you need?" She stared him down.

Hiei watched her. She was a very perplexing girl. "You call that fun?" His idea of fun was fighting a worthy opponent or training, not playing on the beach.

At that moment, the others also arrived. Kurama noticed the staredown between Ali and Hiei. "Oh, hello Hiei. Will you be joining us?" Hiei looked from her to Kurama and then back to her. _You know you want to._ He heard her voice and saw her smirk but he never saw her open her mouth to speak. He looked perplexingly at her. "Hiei?" Kurama asked again.

Keiko, Shizuru and Yukina had arrived as well and Hiei was broken out of his trance when he heard Yukina's voice. "Is everything all right with them?" she asked Kuwabara.

He shrugged. "Beats me, I think we're trying to get Hiei to come to the beach," he said calmly. His cheeks were pink from blushing at the fact that she had asked him rather than somone else.

"Oh," she replied softly. She looked up at Hiei and smiled. "Hiei-chan, we would be very glad to have you join us," she stated sweetly.

He couldn't refuse anymore. Ali with her confusing way of convincing him and his sister asking him herself. "Fine!" he said as he jumped down, feigning exasperation so as not to let on about his new-found desire to go.

This response pleased Ali and her smile reached her eyes. "Yes! The whole gang's goin' to the beach!" She grabbed Hiei's arm and started to run towards the ocean. Hiei was stunned that she was literally dragging him along and leading everybody to have some fun in the sun. Once they arrived, she quickly sought out a spot she found suitable. Everyone set up their own little "camps" before venturing out into the cool water or laying out in the sun.

Yusuke and Kuwabara got into a water war and Kurama joined them after helping the girls and Ali get settled. The girls started a game of volleyball and Ali sat in the sun watching everybody and laughing at the guys. Hiei was up on the cliff also watching everyone, though not with Ali's enthusiasm. _Hn. The bakas. _He would never admit that he was also feeling very relaxed, but he soon fell asleep.

Keiko had brought food for everyone ad they sat and ate a pleasant lunch together. Kuwabara and Yusuke fought over a sandwich. Kuwabara had eaten his rather quickly and shoved Yusuke's face in the sand to steal the sandwich. Luckily for both of them, Ali had brought extra, expecting something like that to happen. The remainder of their lunch was peaceful and afterward everyone went into the water.

Ali, however, decided to take a walk up the beach. Lost in thought, she found herself at the cliff. She noticed that Hiei was sleeping and, not wanting to disturb him, she walked quietly to the edge and sat down. As she looked down at the water, she could see her friends playing games in the waves. Yusuke and Kuwabara were dunking each other and showing off; the girls and Kurama were swimming, talking, and laughing. Ali smiled to herself. _Such nice people,_ she thought.

A light ocean breeze suddenly blew her hair around her and she shivered in her bathing suit and wrap-around skirt. "Aren't you cold?" a familiar voice asked from behind her. She turned to see Hiei watching her. He threw her his cloak. "Put it on. It's breezy and you're hardly wearing anything."

"I'm fine," she said and attempted to hand his cloak back to him.

However, he thrust it back at her. "Put it on," he ordered. "We don't need you getting sick." She quickly obliged and wrapped it around her shoulders. Seeing that she was well-shielded from the wind, he returned to his spot under the tree.

Ali smiled a small smile and she, too, sat back down in her spot. She silently watched the foamy waves crash on the shore below and saw her friends still playing around in the water. After a short while she asked, "I didn't disturb you, did I?"

He remained silence for a moment, contemplating his answer. "No," he said when he finally decided his answer. "I never even sensed that you were here." Ali nodded and they sat a while longer. Hiei noticed the group down below had started to pack up. "It's going to be getting dark soon. You should probably be at home," Hiei stated calmly.

Ali agreed and walked back down to help the others put their beach things away. She didn't realize she was still wearing Hiei's cloak when she went down and she received some strange looks and giggles from the other girls. They had noticed that Ali had been absent for much of the afternoon. When she realized what they were getting at, she blushed slightly and simply said, "I was cold." They laughed and finished packing. While they walked back, Ali noticed that Hiei was gone and wondered where he went. _I have to give him his cloak back…_

"Ah, this was one of the best days of my life," said Yusuke as he stretched and yawned.

Botan was more bubbly than usual due to the day's excitement. "You can thank Ali for that! It was her idea!" she informed them. Kuwabara thanked her with a hug before going over to walk with Yukina.

When they arrived at her apartment, they bid her goodnight and each went their own ways. Kuwabara was staying the night at Yusuke's and Kurama was too, as soon as he made sure Ali was alright. The other girls went home too.

"If you have any problems, just come over to Yusuke's. Kuwabara and I will be there and we've had an extra key made for you. Are you sure you'll be alright?" His emerald eyes shone with concern for this girl.

"I'll be fine," she said. "Don't worry so much. You'll give yourself wrinkles," she added with a wry smirk. A stern look from him made her laugh. "Ok, ok. If there is anything wrong, I'll come to you. No need to worry, dear big brother." He ruffled her hair and smiled in agreement. "Now, I'm kicking you out 'cause I'm exhausted and I have school tomorrow!"

"That's right. What are you still doing up? Get to bed right now young lady!" Kurama ordered jokingly.

She kissed his cheek and hugged him goodbye. "See you tomorrow!" He waved to her as he went next door. She shut her door and went to take a shower before bed. After she had dried her hair, she sat brushing it on her bed. She heard something at her window and knew immediately who it was. "Hi Hiei. Would you like to come in? I'll go get your cloak." When she returned with it she asked him if he was hungry.

He stared at her. Her hair was frizzy from having just been brushed and it flowed around her as she walked. He grabbed the cloak before she could talk him into visiting and turned to leave. "No thanks. I just wanted to retrieve my cloak." And with that he left.

"Goodnight!" she yelled after him. Smiling, she shook her head and crawled in bed. She turned out the light and rolled over, falling asleep immediately. Around 3 in the morning she woke up with a start and realized she was sweating. _What was that?_ she wondered. Hiei must have sensed something too because he was at her window again. "Did you sense it too?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he said in a quiet tone. "Are you alright? I can sense your fear."

She shivered. "I'm fine. Just a little freaked out about something." Hiei could tell she was nervous, but he couldn't understand why. _She gets like this often when she's alone, but it doesn't make sense. She's lived most of her life alone and this is not some girl who's lived her life in fear. So what is she so afraid of?_ He noticed that her breathing had slowed and she was once again asleep. _She seems peaceful enough now._ He decided to keep guard for the night as she slept. The more he thought about things, the more he was frustrated. _What is it about her that seems so familiar?_

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A/N 1: Yeah, this is a little footnote I want to include concerning Kuwabara. I love him. He is a sweet guy. I just don't know how else to describe his grin other than stupid 'cause that's how everyone sees him. I think he's great! (And I've seen the first yyh movie in English and I found his dubbed voice to be very hot. .:sweatdrops:. I know, pathetic, but you all knew this. P)

_A/N: Whew! That was a lot. Holy crap! This thing is a little over 7 pages typed! And it's 3766 words long! I think it's the longest one yet. Well, finals are almost here, it's wicked hot and my room is on the corner so I'm sweating to death in here. I'm planning on writing a new story too! YAY! I don't know if I'll get anything typed tonight. I don't even have anything written. Hehe. Well, I've taken up a lot of your time here already, so you know what to do! Click that review button and send me a good one! (PS: I'm sorry about that last chapter. It was actually my first attempt at a battle scene.) Ja ne!_


	11. New Twists

_A/N: Whoa! I'm updating (hopefully) again in under a few days! Schweet! Well, I just have plenty of time on my hands now so I figure, what the heck, right? And it's not like I don't have this story written out already either:P Oh well. It's hot, it's late, and I'm keeping myself occupied so as to avoid being alone in the dark with a thunderstorm that I think is on its way. o.o; We've been getting hammered with them lately. Ok, only one response this time since I'm movin so fast! Bwahaha!_

**SamiKismet**: Yes, you were criticizing me in your last review, and it's a good thing! I need constructive criticism! I was not at all offended by your last review, but I did take your advice to heart because, like you said, a good writer always strives to write better than the last time. I want to be a better writer! And I appreciated that bit of advice you gave me. Hehe, I'm glad to know an editor is reviewing me. :PI hope you like this chapter! Some of Ali's past comes out!

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**Chapter 11: New Twists**

The next morning, Ali woke up rather really to go out for a morning run. It was around 5:30 and there would not be many people about. She changed into running shorts and a tank top. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail before slipping on her sneakers and heading outside to stretch. It was still a little dark when she began running, but she didn't mind. She ran through the empty streets and headed for the cliff to watch the sunrise.

She stretched on the edge and walked around a little for a cool-down before she would turn back and head home to get ready for her first day of school. As she sat looking at the ocean sunrise, she sensed someone come up behind her. Startled, she jumped up and tackled him, pinning his wrists to the ground. When she saw his face she gasped in surprise. "Hiei! What are you doing here? You should know better than to speak up on people!"

His expression was of confusion as well. He couldn't believe she had managed to pin him down so quickly. He quickly regained his composure and responded to her. "I noticed you were gone and merely came out looking for you. Now would you kindly get off of me?" he stated in a cold tone.

Her grip was strong, and that was surprising too. He couldn't seem to shake her off. "Oh yeah, sorry about that," she said as she stood up and offered a hand to him. He got up on his own and she put her hands behind her head and walked back to the edge of the cliff. "It's kind of a reflex."

The sun was rising just above the horizon and the light reflected off the water. Hiei watched as she stood silently looking at it. "Shouldn't you be getting back?" he asked.

"Yeah," she sighed. Suddenly her eyes lit up and the next words that came out of her mouth shocked him. "Wanna race me?"

He stared at her as though she were insane. "Me race you?" He knew he could be at her house before she could leave the cliff, if he tried. "How much of a head start would you like?"

She laughed and he blinked back his surprise. "Trust me, if either of us needed a head start, it would be you," she stated calmly.

"Fine. Just don't cry when I win," he replied. He saw her eyes sparkle with excitement and decided he would go easy on her so as not to completely humiliate her.

"Deal. Same goes for you." On the count of three, they took off. Both contenders ran fast and Hiei was amazed that she was keeping up with him. He increased his speed and was no longer "going easy on her." Suddenly, he saw her smirk and then she was gone. When he got to her apartment, 10 seconds later, she was there waiting for him. "No crying, remember," she said and went into her apartment, leaving one very stunned Hiei.

She had about half an hour to get ready for school so she jumped in the shower for a very quick wash. When she got out, she changed into her new school uniform and dried her hair. She stood in front of her mirror contemplating what to do with her hair. She decided to braid it and was soon over at Yusuke's, waiting for him to get ready.

"Your friend is going to be late for her first day of school if you don't move it!" Atsuko yelled. She sighed and turned to Ali. "I'm really sorry," she said.

Ali smiled. "It's ok. At least I'll have a good excuse if I just blame it on him." Atsuko laughed with her.

"Ok! I'm ready! Are you people happy now?" Yusuke ranted. Atsuko, Ali, and Kuwabara nodded.

"C'mon Urameshi, let's get going! I can't wait to get to school!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

Yusuke stared at him with one eyebrow raised. "Are you sick?" he asked.

"Come one guys! Keiko promised to show me around but if we don't get going we're gonna be late!" Ali grabbed each one by the arm, said good-bye to Atsuko, and led them away to the school. It was a beautiful morning but Yusuke seemed half asleep. They walked in silence most of the way when Ali realized something. "Hey guys, where's Kurama?"

"He goes to a different school," Kuwabara explained. "He's too smart for us," he added with a grin.

"Oh," she said. Soon after, they arrived at the Junior High where Keiko had been waiting for them. She spotted them right away and waved them over.

"Ali!" she said as they walked over to her. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it on time. Yusuke, you jerk," she turned on him. "I'm sure it's your fault she's almost late."

Yusuke snorted in frustration. "Well, we wouldn't have been late if the snoring of a certain someone hadn't kept me up all night," he replied, glaring at Kuwabara.

Before they could start arguing, Ali jumped in and stated, "I'd rather not be late to my first class. Keiko, could you please show me the way to the principal's office?" Keiko obliged and took her to get her schedule. Her first class was math and Keiko would be in the same class with her.

They walked together and the teacher was happy to see a new student. "Welcome to Sarayashiki Jr. High!" he said as she walked in. She handed him the slip of paper that she was supposed to give to all her teachers that told them her name and such information. "Class, as you can see, we have a new student. Her name is Ali Shinamori."

She hadn't known her last name so Koenma gave her the alias. "Hello," she said and waved to the class. The teacher told her to take a seat so she sat in the empty desk next to Keiko and in front of Yusuke. She was very intelligent and knew all the answers to all the problems. This was supposedly her first time at school.

Over all, her first day went very well. After school, they ran into Botan who informed them that Koenma wished to see them. When they arrived at his office, he seemed very serious. Kurama and Hiei arrived soon after. Koenma took on a business-like manner and began to debrief them. "Starting today, you will all be training together everyday after school until further notice."

The Tantei and Ali were astounded. "What?" shouted Yusuke. "What for? And why does she need to be here?" he asked, referring to Ali.

"She will be training with you guys." When their confused looks did not subside, Koenma sighed and turned to Ali. "You need to learn to control your power, be able to call on it at will. We cannot risk you accidentally unleashing it or not being able to protect yourself. So, you will train as well."

Ali glared at Koenma, a sight that worried the others in the room. The last time they had seen her angry, she was slaughtering demons in her way to kill Hitokiri. Now they could have sworn they heard her growl. "What do you think I've done all my life?" she snarled. "No one seems to realize that I **am** in control. They all seek my power, thinking they know the key to unlocking it as if it's hidden away. That's why I have to meditate everyday, to keep the power suppressed. I _know_ what I am capable of, but no one else seems to understand that. They all think I'm some helpless little girl with freaky abilities but none know the truth."

All eyes were on Ali, her own eyes locked in a death glare to Koenma. The room was eerily quiet for a few minutes. No one dared to speak, but then again, no one really knew how to respond. After an awkward silence, Kurama spoke. "You are not human, are you?" His statement caused her to tense up a little and got the others thinking.

"You're right Kurama, she isn't." Koenma was watching her very carefully. "But she's a master at hiding it. Wolves generally are deceivers." His gaze was fixed on her and her eyes were cast down to the floor.

Kuwabara was confused. "Wait, she's a wolf?"

"Demon, actually," Hiei stated. "That's why I couldn't penetrate your thoughts." Ali looked up at him. The look in her eyes, he couldn't place it. Was it hurt? Or perhaps fear?

She sank to her knees and cried. Everyone was shocked to see this sudden change in demeanor. "I can't stay now. You all know too much. Now that you know what I really am, you're all in danger."

To her dismay, Yusuke burst out laughing. "Please, that is so cliché. It sounds like something out of an old horror flick." He kneeled down next to her. "You don't need to worry. Danger always seems to find us one way or another. We're pros at this sort of thing." The others murmured their agreements and reassured her.

Kuwabara bent down to pick up something that caught his eye. It was a gorgeous midnight blue gem that was perfectly smooth. "What's this?" he asked absentmindedly.

Ali saw it and stared at it in shock. "It's a Wolf's Pearl," Koenma explained. "They're more valuable than Yukina's tear gems, though they're formed the same way."

Ali grabbed the precious stone from Kuwabara. "I didn't realize I'd actually cried," she whispered.

Kuwabara seemed utterly confused. "You mean, you made that from a tear?" She nodded and his eyes lit up in amazement. Yusuke was amazed too. Hiei looked on in fascination.

"Wolves don't usually cry, but if a wolf demon does cry, any tears that fall become precious stones worth billions on the Black Market," Koenma explained. "Another factor in the pricing of these gems has to do with the fact that there are no wolf demons left. Ali is the only one we know of."

The room fell silent again for what seemed like an eternity. The Tantei were attempting to absorb all this new knowledge and forge a better picture of their new friend's past. Koenma continued speaking. "Well, I still want you all to train together. I've decided to make Ali an honorary member of the Reikai Tantei since I feel she may be an important asset in future missions. You'll need to build up teamwork and this will be the best opportunity." He turned to Ali in particular. "I'm curious to know, though, where you got the bow and arrows you used against Hitokiri."

Ali looked at him, reluctant to divulge that information. _Well, they'll have to know sooner or later._ She sighed. "It's like Yusuke's Spirit Gun. My spirit technique takes the form of a bow and arrow. I'm also good with a sword," she said.

"There's no way you're better than Hiei," Yusuke scoffed.

She smirked. "We'll just have to have a swordfight to find out."

"Hn. You couldn't beat me if I had my right hand tied behind my back and was forced to use my left." He seemed smug and confidant in his abilities. He'd obviously forgotten how he'd lost their race earlier that morning.

"You're right," she replied. "I could beat you with _my_ right hand tied behind my back while using my left with a blindfold over my eyes." She smirked at him and he glared.

"Is that a challenge?" he snarled. She continued to look him in the eye.

"Guys, guys! Let's not fight!" urged Kuwabara.

"No, let's fight. I can't think of a better way to train." Ali asked to be transported to the forest in which she had lived the past decade. Koenma obliged and summoned a portal and they walked through.

She seemed happy to be back where things were familiar to her and she led them to a clearing where they could commence the battle. "This is where I used to meditate," she informed them as she and Hiei took their positions.

"It won't be a fair fight," Yusuke muttered to Kuwabara. "She doesn't even have a sword," he added as an observation.

"Who said I don't have a sword?" Ali stated. She walked up to a tree and they noticed the hollow knot in its trunk. She looked in and smiled. "Oh good, it's still here." She reached in and pulled out a magnificently master-crafted sword. It was a Daito blade (a/n1), a little over 2 feet long, and it shone with a luster that indicated it was polished regularly. The tsuka (a/n2) was probably about 10 inches. She tied the sageo (a/n3) around her waist and sheathed her sword.

"Where did you get that?" Yusuke asked, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

She smiled. "I kept it after I defeated an assassin sent to capture me. It used to be a piece of junk but I fixed it up a little to my liking." When they stood silent in fascination she added, "Don't forget, I used to have a lot of time on my hands." She turned and faced Hiei. "I believe you said we would tie our right hands behind our backs and use our left. I think I also stated I would use a blindfold."

Hiei looked questioningly at her. "You were serious about that?"

"Yeah. It's a good way to train our non-dominant hand in battle. You never know when your right arm could be incapacitated. This way we can strengthen our left side." She shrugged. "And with a blindfold, I'll be forced to rely on my other senses, thereby improving them."

The Tantei stared at her in amazement. In just a half hour they had seen her transform from a pure innocent girl into an intelligent and powerful demoness. She was a lot different from what they had been led to believe. "You really _do_ know what you're doing…" Kurama said absent-mindedly. She asked him to tie their hands behind their backs and he obeyed.

"You ready Hiei?" she asked as Kurama tied the blindfold over her eyes. "A little tighter, I can still see. Ok, that's better." Kurama went back over to Yusuke and Kuwabara who looked on in awe at the two fighters. Each one was wondering who would win.

After all, no one had actually seen Ali in a real battle before so they had no idea what to expect. As she took her position in a defensive stance, Hiei decided he would go on the offensive and put her in her place. _He_ was the superior swords master. He swung his katana at her neck, but she jumped back and avoided it. Frustrated, he leapt and swung down on her arm. This time, she brought her tachi (a/n4) up and blocked his katana. _Dammit! I'm too slow with my left,_ he thought.

_That's why we're doing this exercise, to improve that._ He heard her voice in his head.

_Who gave you permission to go into my mind and read my thoughts? _he yelled. It bothered him that she could easily get inside his head while he couldn't get in hers.

_Sorry,_ she thought to him. _It's part of how I predict each of your moves. I'll stop if you prefer._ Hiei stopped attacking and the others, who did not know of the internal conversation between the two, looked on in confusion.

"Enough of this nonsense," they heard him say. "Let's fight with no restrictions. I want to see what you can really do." He released himself from his binding and looked up to see her do the same. She ripped off her blindfold and grinned wolfishly.

"Fine. This should be interesting." Her eyes glimmered with excitement and she switched hands with her tachi.

They faced each other and took their positions once again. This time, however, Ali started off on the offensive with an attack to Hiei's left side. She was fast and took him by surprise, but nevertheless, he dodged her attack and countered with a swing at her head. She ducked and swiped her leg on the ground, knocking his feet out from under him. He fell and looked up to see her preparing to swing her tachi down on him. He quickly rolled out of the way and escaped her attack. He didn't roll far though, and he hit her in the side with the tsuka of his katana. She stumbled sideways, but regained her balance and swung around to hit his side. Again, he managed to block it with his own sword and he kicked her to the ground. He wanted to deliver the winning blow, but as he swung down, he noticed her sword was pointed straight at his stomach.

"Looks like it's a tie," Ali said, smiling. The battle was finished in under a minute and the other guys watched in amazement. She hadn't lied about being good with a sword. They still couldn't believe their sweet, innocent Ali was a kick-ass demon. She looked human enough.

Although he wouldn't admit it, Hiei enjoyed his fight with her. She had proved to be a worthy opponent. As a token of his new respect for her, he helped her up and they walked back over to the group. "You guys are supposed to be training too!" she scolded them. "If you want, I'll spar with you."

Yusuke and Kuwabara took kindly to this idea and went out to spar with her. Kurama joined them after training with Hiei for a bit and they started to work out some team strategies. When Koenma sent for them, he was pleased to hear that the session went well.

"Excellent!" he proclaimed when Yusuke informed him of their activities. "Well, it seems Ali's forest is a perfect location so you'll go there everyday after school. I'm glad everything worked out. You can all go home and rest now."

The Tantei, including Hiei, walked Ali home. Yusuke and Kuwabara couldn't stop talking about her. "You should be a trainer at the gym! Other people could learn a lot from you and you could make a few bucks too."

Ali laughed. "I'll think about it." Soon after, they arrived at her apartment and bid her good night. Each went his own way and they made plans to meet the next day. As Ali took a shower, she thought about the day's events. _It really was a busy day._

After her shower she dried and brushed her hair. Instead of pajamas, she threw on a T-shirt and sweats. She put on her sneakers, grabbed a jacket and jumped out her window. The moon illuminated the streets as she headed for the cliff.

She sat and looked over the ocean and thought to herself. The light of the moon reflected off the water and she listened to the crash of the waves on the sandy shore below. She also heard footsteps coming and sat up straighter to turn around and see who it was.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Hiei asked. "You should know better." He scolded her.

Ali sighed and looked back over to the ocean. "Yeah, I know. But lately I've been feeling smothered and I just wanted to get out in the fresh air to think for a while," she replied. He nodded and was understanding. He knew how she must feel because he'd noticed it too. He'd even commented to Kurama once about how they were all hanging around her so much.

He sat in a tree that was on the cliff as he kept guard so she could meditate. He knew Koenma would flip if he ever found out that Ali was out at night unguarded. Soon he noticed that her breathing had slowed and was going at a steady rhythm. _She's asleep,_ he thought as he jumped down and walked over to her. He picked her up and carried her back to her apartment and gently laid her on her bed. She'd had a long day and he knew she would sleep for the rest of the night. He left and went back to the cliff where he, too, fell asleep in his tree.

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A/N 1: I did a little research for this part. I had written about her sword but didn't like they way it flowed. I wanted to add a little more detail. So I googled it (love google) and went to a few different sites.This one in particularwas very informative. I learned that a **Daito** blade is a long blade that measures around two feet in length. However, this measurement does not include the section that is latched into the tsuka. 

A/N 2: Which brings me to my next tidbit. The **tsuka** is just the Japanese term for the hilt, or handle. With a katana, like Hiei's, the tsuka measures about ten inches.

A/N 3: The **sageo** is the belt that holds the saya (scabbard) into which the sword is sheathed. At least, I'm pretty sure. There wasn't a lot of information about this term but this is what I gathered from bits and pieces that I found about it.

A/N 4: Finally, the **tachi**. This was something I found very interesting. The tachi and katana are examples of swords with a daito blade. However, the tachi preceded the katana and is slightly longer. It was originally used as the battle-blade of feudal Japan's bushi warrior class. If you want to read more about this, email me. For some reason, I can't post the web addresses on here.

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_Final A/N: Ok. This actually took me longer to type than I planned because I went and researched that information. Also, that thunderstorm I mentioned in the opening arrived and kept me up all night. It also washed out many roads and forced the closing of the Northway not far from where I live. (It happened Monday night. As I type this, it's Wednesday.) They had pictures in the paper today and oh my. It is bad. Oh well. This chapter turned out to be 8 pages typed. OMFG! Lol. The next chapter is the chapter you've all been waiting for! I'm going to start giving chapter titles one chapter before I post it. .:clears throat:. The next chapter is… .:drum rolls:. "Christmas Spirit"! YAY! Until then! _


	12. Christams Spirit

_A/N: I am soooooooooooo sorry for the extended delay on getting this chapter up. I've been so freaken lazy and bored out of my mind. Ok, this time, I'm just gonna get right into it without any serious rambling. The only thing I'm gonna say is that when I first wrote this chapter, I was writing it for my friend who had asked me to do this. I just want to add that this chapter doesn't have any serious bearing on any of the story with the exception of the ending .of course. Just a transition chapter. I promise the story will pick up the pace after this one. Ok, here you are!

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**Chapter 12: Christmas Spirit**

The next few weeks passed that way; go to school, come home and head to training. Weekends were early morning sessions with afternoon hang-out time. They would go to her forest everyday to train. It would usually start with Kuwabara, Kurama and Yusuke watching as Ali and Hiei worked in some sword training for warm-up. Then Ali would spar with Kuwabara and Yusuke while Hiei sparred with Kurama. Most days they rotated sparring order but sometimes they would have a battle royale. Other times they would have endurance training and would run long distances, Ali and Hiei always off in the lead. Most evenings Ali would head to the cliff for a while to relax and meditate while Hiei would join her and play bodyguard.

Before they all realized it, a couple of months had passed and it was December. At school, all the students were looking forward to Christmas and many were planning parties. Ali had been invited to most of them, but she politely declined them all. She just wanted a nice, quiet night at home.

However, Botan and the other girls were persistent in their attempts to get her out. Kurama was going to be having a party at his house and of course they were all invited. "I… dunno," Ali said tentatively. "I would rather stay home and…"

"Don't force us to drag you there," Shizuru interrupted her, "'cause Lord knows I will." With this threat intact, Ali reluctantly agreed. "Good, now let's go shopping!" Shizuru replied, now appeased with Ali's compliance.

The aspect of having to go shopping for a Christmas Eve outfit for the party seemed to brighten Ali's mood a little because she stopped sulking once they entered the mall. They spent the entire afternoon there, but the latter half of their visit was spent worrying about presents for the guys.

"I never know what to get Yusuke," Keiko exasperated.

"Guys are so hard to shop for," replied Shizuru. "Don't worry too much about it."

"The only thing I can think of to give to Kurama is something gardening-related," Botan stated, "and that's so stupid."

"Why don't you give him one of your sketches?" Ali offered and the group looked to her. "They're amazing! You could frame one and give it to him. I'm sure he'd love it."

Ali smiled and Botan blushed at the idea. "They're not _that_ good," she replied. "Besides, which one would I give him?"

Ali didn't even need a moment to think it over. She simply stated, "The one of him at the beach that day we all went for fun. I love that one, and I know he would too," she said smiling. Botan nodded, newly inspired and relieved that she wouldn't have to buy anything.

Shizuru turned to Yukina and Keiko. "We know how much Yusuke and my brother love food. Why don't you two bake them something?" she suggested.

They nodded. "That's a good idea."

Ali laughed. "See? And this way we don't have to spend any money on them!" she exclaimed.

The other four girls nodded but then looked at each other with mischievous smirks before looking back to Ali. She sweatdropped. "So who is _your_ special someone?" Keiko asked, grinning.

Ali looked at them, mouth slightly agape. "What are you guys talking about?" she replied nervously.

They had the mischievous grins still on their faces as they looked to each other then back to her. "C'mon Ali," goaded Botan. "Tell us! Who are you getting a gift for?"

"Guys, I really don't…" she began again but was interrupted by Keiko.

"Is it that adorable Takenaga kid?" she wondered. "He has the biggest crush on you, you know."

"Keiko, I…" This time she was interrupted by Shizuru.

"No, I'd bet anything it's Joe Ishyama in the class ahead of you. He's a cutie," she stated. Ali realized it would be pointless to interject and sighed to herself as they chatted amongst themselves who she should be set up with.

They went through just about every guy at school and the rival schools when Botan suddenly had a thought. "What about Hiei?"

Ali nearly spit out the soda she had been drinking. "Hiei? Why would you say him?" she said once she had regained her composure.

"You two _do_ spend a lot of time together," stated Yukina, who was picking on her as well. The others murmured their agreements.

Ali looked at each of them in stunned silence. When she finally found her voice again she stated, "Well, we have to train together everyday after the other guys and I get back from school. Don't forget that they are there too. It's not like we spend time alone or anything," she remarked.

The other girls looked to each other again. "Well, what about the evenings?" Botan queried.

"What?" Ali exclaimed in shock.

"Oh come on," Keiko said. "We all know you go out to meet him at the beach every night." They were all having fun picking on Ali and she knew it.

She smirked and jumped at the chance to set things straight. "Ah, you are incorrect in that statement!" she said. "True, I do go out every night, but I go to the cliff, not the beach" Keiko shrugged it off, easy mistake. "And second of all, he meets me," she sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest, "not the other way around." They were still grinning and she shrugged. "Besides, he's not exactly the type to have a girlfriend."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Yukina said with a giggle. "But I've noticed he does tend to hang around you when we're all together, if we can get him to come. And he is kind of cute."

Now Botan was with Ali nearly choking on their sodas. They knew Yukina's real relation to Hiei and the fact that she found him cute stunned them and caused them to spaz out. However, the look on their faces made Shizuru, Keiko, and Yukina laugh even harder.

"C'mon guys, let's go back to my place," Ali said once they had all calmed down. They planned on having a "girl's night" at Ali's and were staying the night there. "Do we need anything for our party?"

"We have popcorn and soda, right?" asked Keiko. "What about chips and dip?"

"Got it," Ali replied. "And I still have some cookies left over from the other day. We don't really need anything else, do we?"

"We probably don't want too much anyway. I mean, after all, tomorrow's Christmas Eve and Kurama's party," Botan said. They all agreed and went back to Ali's. They helped Keiko and Yukina bake cookies to give to Yusuke and Kuwabara. Ali helped Botan pick out the sketch for Kurama and Shizuru went out to buy a frame for it and to rent some movies.

When they were done with their gifts they watched movies the rest of the night. The next morning they were up around 9 and went out for breakfast. After they got back, they watched a couple more movies and then started getting ready for the party.

Botan was wearing a simple purple blouse with a long denim skirt and black sandals. She let her hair hang down for once. Yukina wanted to be adventurous and had bought a knee-length, black, sequined dress with white heeled shoes. She asked Ali and Keiko to braid her hair into two French braids. Shizuru had selected a long, strapless,sparkly red dress to wear with black thin-strapped shoes. She put her hair up into a Japanese-style bun. Keiko was wearing a light blue cami, black dress pants, and black shoes. Botan and Shizuru crimped her hair for her. Ali was going to the party in a black strapless top that had a flaming purple flower decal on it, a denim jacket, black miniskirt, and ankle-high boots with a 1 ½ inch heel. They all wore makeup and jewelry to top off their ensembles. Ali's was mostly silver with a blue clip in her hair. They all wore earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Ali and Yukina had also chosen anklets to wear.

They left for Kurama's around 5pm. There were a lot of people there; the majority of them were from Kurama's school. They were able to find the guys right away. The boys were amazed at how great the girls looked while the girls were amazed that Hiei was there.

"Glad you could all come," Kurama said, greeting them. He walked over to Ali and took her arm. "There's someone here who wants to meet you." Ali groaned a little because she thought he, too, was trying to set her up with someone. She was relieved when she saw the smiling face of a woman. "Mother, this is my new friend, Ali."

"Pleased to meet you Ali. Suiichi has told me much about you. My name is Shiori," she said.

"It's nice to meet you Shiori," Ali replied, shaking her hand. "He keeps me out of trouble and keeps a brotherly eye on me," she said as she nudged him in the ribs. The three laughed together.

"Well, I'll let you get back to the party. It was nice to finally meet you. I hope you'll be joining us tomorrow for Christmas?" she said questioningly.

"Of course," Ali replied with a smile. Shiori smiled too and went upstairs. "I like her," Ali said softly and Kurama laughed. He showed her around the house a bit before he introduced her to some of his friends from school. One boy in particular really seemed to like her and his name was Yuki. He and Ali got along great and spent most of their time at the party together. Of course she introduced him to the rest of the gang. The girls pulled her aside while he talked with the guys.

"He's cute," Shizuru said, obviously giving her approval.

"Where did you find him and where can I get one?" Keiko joked.

"He's a friend of Kurama's, and he's really nice," Ali said. "He's into photography too."

The other girls had the mischievous grins back on their faces and Ali tensed up slightly. "Does he flatter you by telling you how "In this light you positively glow!"?" Yukina giggled.

Ali gave a stern, but kind look. "No, but he did invite me out to a movie tomorrow," she said grinning. The girls all giggled and Yuki came over.

Hiei walked over to Ali and wanted to speak with he for a moment. They walked over to a place where it was quiet. "So, who is this Yuki guy? Is he bothering you?" he asked her.

She quirked an eyebrow at his question. "He's a friend of Kurama's and no, he isn't bothering me. Why do you ask?" she replied. Was Hiei jealous?

"I just don't trust him," Hiei said quickly.

She laughed. "You just don't trust anybody!" She went back over to the gang. It was a long night before anyone went home. After the party was over, Kurama took Botan home, Yusuke and Kuwabara took Keiko and Yukina home, and Yuki walked Ali home.

"So, do you want to see a movie tomorrow?" Yuki asked her.

"Sure," she replied. "But it will have to wait until the afternoon. I promised Suiichi's mom I would spend the morning with them," she explained.

"Alright, does 4:30 sound ok?"

"Sounds great, I'll see you then!" She hugged him goodbye and went inside. She was startled to see Hiei as she walked into her room. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Just came to check on you," he replied with a shrug.

She took off her jacket, set it on the chair and leaned against her doorframe. "Hiei, you can't hide anything from me." She touched a finger to her head. "I'm telepathic like you, remember?"

"Damn you onna, can't you stay out of my head?" Hiei was upset that she could so easily penetrate his mind when he couldn't get into hers.

Ali giggled. "Yeah, I was just joking. I wouldn't read your mind without your permission. But don't forget my wolf instincts. I can tell you're hiding something."

He looked her in the eye. "Stay out of my head." Then he flitted off. She blinked in confusion, but shrugged it off and went to bed.

The next morning she went to Kurama's to spend Christmas with his family. He loved Botan's sketch and Botan thanked Ali for helping her pick it. Kurama had even got Ali a gift, which surprise her. Her face lit up when she saw the sapphire amulet that was in the box. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "It's gorgeous! How on earth did you pay for it and why spend so much on me?" She was amazed at them gem.

"We all chipped in for it. That necklace is from all of us," Kurama said. She hugged him and Botan and made a mental note to thank the others. She put it on and admired it and Shiori laughed. Ali laughed with her. They got along well and Ali liked her.

That afternoon Yuki came to get her at about 4:30 as they'd agreed upon the night before. "Wow," he said when he saw the necklace. "That necklace is really pretty."

"Thanks," she replied. "Suiichi gave it to me. Well, actually, the whole gang paid for it, but he was the chosen one to give it to me." She smiled.

"Oh, that was nice of them. It looks great on you." He took her arm in his. "Shall we go?"

She giggled. "Lead on, good sir." They both laughed and walked to the cinema. Keiko and Yusuke were there and happened to be seeing the same movie as Yuki and Ali. The girls sat next to each other with their dates on the other side of them.

They enjoyed the movie and afterwards they went to a café for dinner. The girls chatted about school, much to Yusuke's dismay. Yuki laughed and talked with him about fighting and martial arts.

"You know martial arts?" Ali asked him. "I didn't picture you as the fighting type."

"Yeah. Before I was transferred to the Academy I was kind of like you, Yusuke. Always getting into fights, cutting classes, and disrespecting everyone."

"Hey! I'm not that bad anymore!" Yusuke protested and the girls laughed.

"I know! I meant to say "like you were." My bad," he said sheepishly. "My uncle had helped my mother raise me and he was the one who got me into the martial arts. He told me I needed discipline and he straightened me out."

"That's really cool," Ali said in awe before her eyes lit up again. "We'll have to spar sometime!"

"You fight too?" Yuki ask, slightly confused. He looked to Yusuke for help. "Did you know that?"

Yusuke mellowed a bit. "Yeah. She always kicks my ass. I try to remember not to piss her off," he added with a smirk. Ali and Keiko laughed. After dinner they split up and each boy took his date home.

"I never knew you were into martial arts," Yuki said in amazement. "Do you fight with Yusuke a lot?"

"Sometimes we spar at the gym. Since I've been going to school, he seems to go more often." She laughed. "Because he knows that if he didn't, Keiko and I would kick his ass. But I try not to embarrass him too badly though." She giggled and soon after, they arrived at her apartment.

"So, you wannago outagain sometime?" he asked as he was hugging her goodbye.

"Sure," she said. "I'd like that." She smiled and waved as he left. _He's very sweet,_ she thought to herself as she went inside. She changed into her sweatpants, grabbed a jacket and jumped out the window.

She went to the cliff and it wasn't long before Hiei arrived. "Why were you following me all day?" she asked with a hint of annoyance. The moon reflecting off the ocean shone in her eyes and Hiei caught himself staring at her. When he didn't respond, she turned to look at him and saw him watching her. "What?"

He shook his head to clear his mind then looked questioningly at her. "How did you know I was following you?"

She shifted her weight to one side, crossed her arms over her chest, and narrowed her eyes in an irritated glare. "First of all, I'm a demon and I could sense you. Secondly, you were downwind and I could smell you. Don't forget I'm part wolf. And finally, do you really think I'm that stupid? I know when someone's trailing me." He didn't respond. "So I ask again, why were you following me?"

He shrugged. "It's our mission to protect you. And you were alone," he replied.

Ali rolled her eyes. "Yusuke was there! And Yuki is a strong fighter too!" she protested.

"Hn. That ningen couldn't protect one of Kuwabara's stupid cats," Hiei said. "And Yusuke isn't enough."

She continued to glare at him. "Did you forget that I'm strong enough to take care of myself?"

"And yet Hitokiri so easily captured you," he replied harshly. His cold words had struck a nerve with Ali and he immediately wished he could've taken them back. The look in her eyes was cold and hurt. She turned away and walked to the edge of the cliff. He didn't move, but just stood where he was and watched her. _Why the hell do I care if I hurt her feelings? No one else makes me think before I speak or regret saying something._ It frustrated him.

There was a breeze and it blew her hair about her face. "You want to know why I ran that day?" Her voice startled him. She turned to face him and he could see a tear rolling down her cheek from her silver eyes. "Sometimes, when I meditate, I have visions into the future. I don't know why, I just know that sometimes it happens. That day, when you let me meditate, I had a vision. You were all fighting to save me from something, but you were all defeated. I didn't want to risk your lives, so I ran." She stopped and sighed. "But it didn't matter because my vision still came true and there was nothing I could do to stop it. That's why I was so helpless that day. The next thing I knew, I was chain-bound in a dark cell and all alone with no way of knowing if you guys had survived." She was sobbing as she finished.

He walked over to her and gently took her in his arms. She cried into his shoulder and several tear gems fell to the ground. "I was so scared," he heard her say between sobs. "It was so dark and I thought you were all going to die. It would have been my fault."

He softly rocked her and hushed her. He lifted her chin to look her in the eye. "We don't go down so easily," he said before he leaned in and kissed her. They were both surprised by it but nevertheless she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his passionate kiss. Her lips were soft against his and he lost all sense of pride. She needed him and he would be there for her. There was just something about her.

It began to rain as they sat together, lost in the kiss. When they broke apart, it was pouring and they were soaked. Hiei smirked with a devilish grin. "You look good wet." She playfully shoved him and shook her rain-soaked her, spraying him with even more water. He pulled her up and carried her back to her apartment as she held onto him with her arms around his neck. He set her down on the couch in her living room and got her a big warm blanket. They wrapped themselves in it and soon fell asleep in one another's arms.

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_A/N: .:dies:. Too… much… fluff. Lol. I love reading it, can't stand writing it. I'm sure it's probably out of character for Hiei to do something like that, and I think that's part of the reason I twitched as I wrote it, but there _**is**_ a reason! You'll find out in a couple more chapters. Like I said at the beginning of the chapter, my friend was getting irritated with me because they hadn't kissed yet, so I wrote this chapter. Let me say that it is a lot less fluff than what I had originally planned for writing their first kiss. I think I really would have died if I went through with that. .:shudders:. But I'm still alive! And don't think that Yuki is just going to go away. He's my new favorite character! I have an obsession with making so many of my own characters. I think this story ends up having five of my own. o.o Oh my. Well, that's something to look forward to! I really enjoyed giving the other girls unique personalities for my story without straying too far from the way they actually are. I think Botan seems like she would be an artist in her spare time and I enjoyed writing Yukina with a more exciting personality. But I think Hiei would have killed her because of her dress. I also enjoyed writing their outfits! I had each one pictured in my mind and did my best to describe them! Ihope you all could see them too! Whoa, this has gotten long.Oh well.Next chapter is "Deception." See you then!_


	13. Deception

_A/N: I'm back with the next chapter. I was really bored so I decided to continue on. Things are going to start getting much darker in the next few chapters so don't think Ali and Hiei are going to live "happily ever after". God I hate those… I'm currently in the process of reading the newest Harry Potter book, so I you've read it, DON'T GIVE ME ANY SPOILERS! I like it too much and I have my own theories. Ok, enough of my rambling. On with the fic! Oh wait! Disclaimer time! I owe the idea for the demons in this chapter to _SamiKismet_. She'll know what I'm talking about. Yes, it's finally time! Chapter 13!

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**Chapter 13: Deception**

The next morning Hiei awoke to see an enraged Kurama. "What is going on here?" he asked in a scathing whisper so as not to awaken Ali. Hiei was a little startled to see Kurama but silenced him and took Ali to her room where he gently laid her on her bed. He quietly closed the door to her room and walked back over to Kurama.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I believe I asked you a question first," Kurama quickly retorted. What in the world were you thinking? Sleeping with her, I should kill you." The intensity in the room was thickening as Kurama continued to glare furiously at Hiei.

Hiei was unmoved as he returned Kurama's glare with an irritated glance. "Don't go jumping to conclusions Kurama," he stated calmly. "You know me better than that and, I suspect, you know her better than that as well." Kurama didn't budge so Hiei continued with his explanation. "We were both wet and tired and ended up crashing on the couch. What's got you so fired up anyway?" he added with a raised eyebrow.

Kurama's accusing gaze was relentless and he continued his rant. "You know how I feel about her," he said. "I love her as a brother loves his younger sister. If you hurt her, I swear I'll kill you." He had calmed down somewhat now but still added, "I'm a very protective older brother."

Hiei rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know. But you don't have to worry. There's nothing going on between us. Now, why are you here?" he asked again.

Kurama had cooled considerably and turned his focus onto his reason for being there. "Koenma sent me to retrieve you two for an emergency meeting. She seems to be sleeping peacefully, so I'd rather not disturb her. We can fill her in on it later." Hiei agreed and they left to meet with the rest of the team.

Ali woke up about ten minutes after they left and was rather disoriented to be in her bed. _Didn't I fall asleep on the couch with Hiei? Or was that just some weird dream?_ She went out to her living room to find the blanket folded neatly on the couch. _What the hell happened last night?_ she wondered. She remembered going to the cliff to think as usual. Hiei came to watch her like he always did. She remembered having an argument with him and remembered him saying something that really cut deep. It had something to do with Hitokiri. The memories had come flooding back and everything after that was a blur.

She grabbed an apple and some toast for breakfast before going outside. It was still raining but she didn't mind. She loved the rain and just wanted to walk in it. She had no idea where she was walking to.

She was lost in her thoughts, walking in whatever direction her feet carried her. She didn't notice she'd walked to the woods. It startled her when she was suddenly attacked and knocked to the ground. When she stood up and faced her attacker, she was shocked to see Hiei running at her again for a head-on attack.

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Back at Koenma's office, the guys were listening intently to Koenma who was briefing them on the new crisis. "These demons that are after her now are very dangerous. We often have difficulties locating them but we know a few have slipped through from the Makai. Kurama, I hope you gave her the tracking device," he said looking to the kitsune.

"Yes sir," Kurama replied. "Putting it in the form of a necklace was a good idea. She hasn't taken it off, as far as I know. She was still wearing it this morning when I checked to see if she was awake," he added with a glance at Hiei who ignored this comment.

"So, what exactly are these demons?" Kuwabara asked Koenma.

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"Hiei! What are you doing?" Ali yelled as she dodged his attack. She tried to read his mind to see what he was thinking but it was as though his mind defenses were suddenly ten times stronger.

He came at her again and swung his sword low, at her waist. She jumped back and he missed. "Hiei!" she yelled again. "Hiei, stop it!" she pleaded desperately. He didn't listen and swung his sword at her again and yet again she dodged it. However, she was unprepared for the fist to her stomach.

Ali was utterly shocked. She had never known Hiei to pull such a dirty trick in a fight. The blow was so powerful that she was sent flying back into a tree. She realized then that if she didn't fight back, he would kill her. _But why?_ she wondered as she looked up to see his sword coming straight for her.

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"So we left her alone with these shape-shifters?" Kuwabara said angrily. The others were also expressing concern, even Hiei.

"Yes," said Koenma. "The manawydans are a very powerful demon race. They can take the form of anything, demon or human." He looked at the small screen in front of him and all color left his face. "Oh no, there's one of them now!" The others gathered around the radar screen.

"Then, what's that other one with it?" Yusuke asked and knew the answer immediately. "Ali!" They all ran out through the portal that had suddenly appeared to transport them near her, with Hiei way ahead of the rest.

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Ali saw the attack coming and instinctively knew to get out of the way. She jumped out of reach of his sword and rolled to a kneeling position. She jumped up again as he came close, kicking the sword out of his hand as a result. She caught the sword as she landed on her feet and held it defensively. "It's over. I won," she said.

This, however, did not faze him at all and he came at her again prepared for hand-to-sword combat. She was startled by his counterattack and she swung the sword to defend herself. Her defensive counterattack proved fatal and she watched in shocked horror as the sword finished its deadly deed of slicing him in half. Even as the sword cut through his abdomen, she released it and it fell to the ground as she clasped her hands over her mouth and uttered a soft "No…" She didn't know what to do but then did the only thing she could think of; she ran. She ran as fast and as far as she could.

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Hiei could sense that something was wrong. He had the dreadful feeling that something had happened to her. Kurama felt it too and ran quickly. She was fast and they were having difficulties locating her. They had arrived at the battle site to find a very grotesque-looking demon, sliced in two, but no Ali.

So Hiei kept running, hoping to catch her soon. The rain had continued relentlessly and they were all soaked. They needed to find her before they all got sick.

She had run all the way back to her forest and sat in the clearing in a state of shock. When she looked up and saw Hiei walking towards her through the rain she started screaming. Startled, he stopped. She screamed and was yelling, "No! Get away! Don't come any closer!" with her eyes clenched shut and her hands clutching her head.

"Ali, what happened?" he asked as calmly as he could, but she continued to scream as he got closer. Kurama arrived with Yusuke and Kuwabara and all three looked on in confusion.

"Hiei, what's wrong with her?" Yusuke asked.

"If I knew that, would I be standing here watching her?" Ali had moved farther away from them and was still sitting on the cold, damp ground, holding her head with her hands and slowly rocking back and forth. Something was clearly not right with her.

"Ali! Snap out of it!" Yusuke yelled to no avail; she wasn't listening. Hiei walked toward her again, but she was still in shock, rocking and screaming. He hit her in the back of the head and she was immediately knocked unconscious. Kurama was about to protest but Yusuke and Kuwabara held him back. They watched as Hiei picked up the now silent Ali.

"We have to get her back to Koenma," they heard him say. Kurama nodded in agreement and soon a portal appeared near them and they walked through to meet Koenma. They quickly brought her to a spare room and ran into Botan on the way.

"Oh my goodness, what happened to her?" she exclaimed.

"Manawydan," Koenma stated simply.

"Oh," Botan replied quietly. She looked at Ali and muttered, "She doesn't look so good." She put a hand to Ali's forehead. "She's burning up! She has a fever! We have to get her out of those wet clothes!"

Kurama and Hiei went with her to Ali's old room. Hiei laid her on the bed and Botan shooed them out while she and another ferry girl undressed Ali and put warm clothes on her. Once she was dressed and in bed, they let the boys back in. "Is she going to be alright?" Kurama asked with concern.

Botan sighed. "I don't know. I think she's suffered serious psychological damage."

"Psychological?" Hiei queried.

She nodded. "Manawydans often take the form of a close friend or loved one when they attack. Judging from how she reacted to seeing you after she'd killed it, I can only imagine it took your form. It certainly would explain the sword at the battle site and her reaction to you. She must have thought she killed you and then seeing you walking towards her through the rain…" She broke off and looked silently at Ali.

Kurama and Hiei exchanged glances and then looked back to Botan. "But how would it know who to take the form of? Why would it have chosen Hiei and not someone else?"

Botan shrugged. "The manawydans are a very strange race, but their telepathic abilities are, by far, the most superior to our records." Hiei grunted in irritation but Botan ignored it. "The one who attacked her had probably followed her for some time and had gotten inside her mind to discover the best person to become. That is usually their strategy." They sat in silence for a few minutes before Botan left to get a cool washcloth for Ali's head.

Her fever didn't go down for a few days. She never woke up either, but she had times where she would scream or cry out in her sleep. They never left her alone; someone was always by her side. Everyone was stressed and worried for her mental stability.

After about a week, her fever got worse. It rose even higher, but she was constantly shivering. "What are we gonna do now?" Yusuke wondered aloud. No one had any ideas.

"She isn't gonna die, is she?" Kuwabara asked, suddenly more fearful.

"Don't even think that!" Hiei snapped, though they all knew it was a possibility that was slowly becoming their reality.

"She's suffered serious psychological damage. Her mind is messed up," Botan stated. "She's fighting herself and trying to come back but I fear she's losing." She bit her lip to hold back the tears and Kurama held her close. The room was thick with anxiety and tension. None of them wanted to lose Ali.

Hiei broke the silence with a question. "You said her mind is messed up?" Botan nodded and everyone in the room looked to see him thinking hard about something. They watched in stunned fascination as he untied his bandana and took it off to reveal his Jagan eye. "I'll bring her back."

Using his Jagan to get inside her weakened mind, he tried to find her. He had always found it strange to mentally walk around in someone else's mind. Ali's was a lot darker than he had expected. She seemed too happy all the time to have such a dark, confused and somewhat empty mind. And it _was_ dark, he could hardly see.

As he walked further through the corridors of her mind, he saw a room that was full of light. He looked in to see her sitting cross-legged in the middle of the very white room. He walked in and she opened her eyes and looked at him, but did not speak. Her hair had grown long in the time he'd known her, to about the middle of her back, and fell gently around her. She was wearing a long silk, white top and matching pants. She looked completely different except for the expression of bewilderment etched on her face.

Hiei found his voice and spoke softly to her. "Ali, you need to get over whatever it is that you are afraid of. Your friends are worried about you." She looked away and he could sense her reluctance. She was afraid of him. "Why are you so scared of me?" he wondered aloud.

Ali remained quiet for a moment but then she spoke. "I was confused," she said and looked back to him, a sadness present in her eyes. "I couldn't remember if you had actually kissed me, or if it was just a dream." She fell silent again as she looked down at her hands. After a moment had passed she continued. "I went for a walk in the rain to sort out my thoughts and then you attacked me. I instinctively defended myself, but I ended up killing you in the process." She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "And then you came after me and you're here now and you just won't go away." She closed her eyes and grabbed her head as he had seen her do back in the forest. "You continue to haunt me!"

He stared at her for a moment before he began to laugh. It surprised her and she looked up at him again. "Like you could ever really kill me!" He laughed again and pulled her up so she was standing with him and he smiled, something that she had never seen him do before and which would have unnerved anyone else. "But you did kill a very powerful demon. You're a very strong girl, so you should be able to overcome this."

She smiled now too and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Hiei," she whispered. He embraced her as well and knew she would be alright now. "And don't worry," she said with a sly grin, "I won't tell anyone. What happens here will stay here." He smiled again, quietly thanking her for promising not to reveal that he had a soft side.

* * *

"She's waking up!" Botan exclaimed!

"Ali!" Everyone was glad to see her awake.

She rubbed her eyes and smiled at them. "Hey guys. Sorry I worried you, but I'm ok now." They all hugged her in turn and each informed her of how happy they were to have her back. Botan shooed everyone out after a short while so Ali could rest and finish her recovery.

The next day all the girls came to visit her. "It's been kind of a rough start to the new year," Shizuru said.

"Yeah, I'd forgotten yesterday was New Year's Day," stated Yukina.

Ali's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she apologized. "I'm really sorry."

"It's ok, honest!" Botan exclaimed. "We were all worried, but it wasn't your fault."

"Yuki was really worried too," said Keiko with a smirk. "He kept calling to see if you were better yet."

"He wanted to come visit you," Botan interjected, "but for obvious reasons, we couldn't let him." They had been keeping Ali at Koenma's and while the others knew of the Reikai, Yuki didn't. They had told him that she had been transferred to a hospital on the other side of the country.

Ali laughed when they told her what they told Yuki to keep him at bay. "I guess I have to call him then, don't I. We don't want him to worry too much." She giggled and the other girls were glad to see that their friend was back to normal.

Yukina handed her the phone. "Call him now!" she said with an excited grin. The other girls murmured agreements and goaded her on. Ali took the phone and dialed his number, taking on their dare.

It rang twice before a voice answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Yuki!" Ali said happily.

The other girls could hear his reaction because Ali had to pull the phone away from her ear a little. "Ali!" he exclaimed. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

She couldn't suppress a giggle. "Yeah, I'm fine now. What about you? How are you doing?" The other girls were stifling giggles themselves.

"I'm alright. When I heard that you got sick I was really worried though." She could sense the concern in his voice and couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry. It kinda took me by surprise too. I only just woke up yesterday," she replied.

"Well then you should probably be resting," was his response. "I'm glad to hear that you're doing better but I can wait to talk to you until you've fully recovered. I want you to rest."

"Yes Dr. Yuki," she said with a slight sarcasm. She could tell he was probably giving her a stern look and she laughed. "Ok, I will. Talk to you later."

"Bye Ali," he said and they both hung up. The other girls burst out laughing when she filled them in on the conversation. They chatted for a while before Keiko reminded them that Yuki wanted Ali to rest and that they should go. Ali mock-glared at her but the other girls laughed and bid her good-bye. She smiled and lay down to sleep in the quiet room, enjoying the peace.

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_A/N: You know, I never thought that the girls got enough time in the show, so I enjoy writing them into my story. I know Yukina probably isn't as "exciting" in the show as I seem to write her, but I do like writing her with somewhat of an adventurous streak. After all, she could have picked up on it from Shizuru… So yeah, Yuki hasn't disappeared from the story and he won't for the time being. But there is a HUGE twist coming up in the next chapter. Perhaps the title will give it away. .:clears throat:. Next chapter: The Other Ali. .:bows:. Until then!_


	14. The Other Ali

_A/N: .:walks in with a sheepish smile:. Heh, hello again guys! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I last updated. But I've actually been busy this time. I was busy doing a show with my local theater guild toward the end of the summer and so it took up a lot of my time. And I also had things to read over the summer for school which is in full swing again! But I'll just cut to the chase and give you what you've been waiting for! Now things start getting complicated. .:laughs maniacally:.

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**Chapter 14: The Other Ali**

In the weeks that followed after the Manawydan attack on Ali, the Tantei noticed a significant change in her behavior. She was no longer the care-free, energized girl they had first met. On the contrary, she was more cautious and withdrawn, although she never stopped smiling.

"I'm starting to worry about her," Yusuke said one afternoon after school when she wasn't around. "She hasn't exactly been herself since that, thing, attacked her."

"I've noticed it too," Kurama stated with utmost concern and he turned to Hiei. "Has she said anything to you? You two do seem to talk a lot."

Hiei was just as concerned, but disguised it well by feigning irritation with Ali's recent hesitant behavior. He didn't exactly remark on Kurama's comment, but he did respond. "I've tried," he said, "but she doesn't talk much now. And she hasn't gone to the cliff over the ocean in a week."

They walked on in silence, lost in thought of and concern for their friend. Yusuke broke the silence with something of a revelation. "Do you think that maybe she's just figuring out the danger of her situation?"

The others thought it over and agreed that it was a very likely possibility. "Where is she anyway?" Kuwabara wondered aloud.

"Yuki managed to get her out. He took her out for an early dinner and then he promised he'd take her shopping," Kurama answered.

"He's a brave man," Kuwabara said wide-eyed. Shopping was definitely not on top of his 'favorite things to do' list.

Suddenly, Botan came out of nowhere and flew down to them. "Koenma needs to see everyone, **pronto**!" She scanned the group and noticed one was absent. "Where's Ali?" She was stunned to find out that Ali had actually left her apartment to do something fun, but she persisted. "Well, much as I hate to, we need to interrupt that date. This is important!" Her voice held a tone of urgency and it was etched on the rest of her face as well.

"What's so important we have to interrupt her when she hasn't had any fun for a couple weeks?" Yusuke questioned.

Botan was becoming frustrated and raised her voice ever so slightly. "Koenma said _everyone_ needs to be there. Someone go get her, now!" Somewhat taken aback at her outburst, they all turned to Hiei. When he noticed them all staring at him, he snarled, "What?"

"You're the fastest," Kuwabara remarked as the others murmured their agreements.

He searched their faces for a fleeting moment, deciding if there was any way he could get out of it. Finding no way of escaping the meager task, he said, "Hn, fine," and was gone in a flit. The others proceeded to Koenma's office. He found her with Yuki at the café, finishing up their dinner. She was smiling, something he hadn't seen in too long. _It almost seems a shame to break that up…_he thought.._Oh well._ He walked over to them and established eye contact with her right away. "C'mon onna, time to go."

She looked at him, rather bemused that he was telling her what to do. "What for?" she asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.

"We're late for an important meeting," he replied, unaffected by her intonation and hard glare.

He could see a rise of anger flash in her eyes and it startled him just a little bit. "I'm in the middle of a date. You can fill me in on it later." She narrowed her eyes at him then turned back to Yuki with a smile to encourage him to continue talking.

Now Hiei was dealing with frustration. "Now, onna!" he shouted. She turned around to yell at him, but the mixed looks of anger, frustration, and urgency etched on his features told her she should probably go.

She sighed and turned to Yuki. "I'm sorry," she said as she smiled sadly. "We'll have to do this another time."

"It's alright," he replied. "Call me later." He leaned across the table and kissed her cheek. This affectionate gesture was nothing Hiei hadn't seen before, but it still shocked him, although his face remained as stoic as ever.

"I will," she said as she got up and hugged him.

Hiei rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Come on!" he urged. Ali let go of Yuki and went with Hiei. She punched his arm as she walked passed him though and ran ahead of him. "What is your problem?" he asked angrily when he was close enough he could talk to her. She didn't respond but continued running.

When they finally arrived at Koenma's, the others had all been waiting. Ali and Hiei sat as far away from each other as was physically possible in the small office. The others took notice and couldn't help but wonder what had happened between them in the short period of time that had elapsed since they left Hiei to get her.

"Thank you all for breaking your previous engagements to be here," Koenma began immediately with an apologetic glance specifically to Ali. "We have just recently solved some mystery that actually directly involves you two," he stated, indicating Ali and Hiei and the two straightened in their seats, curious to know more. "As you all know, a few Manawydans slipped through the barrier and attacked Ali."

"Yeah, I know," she muttered. "One of the bastards put me into a shock-induced coma for over a week." Everyone in the room looked at her in stunned silence. They had never heard her use such language or tone of voice in the time they had known her.

After a few seconds, Koenma recovered and was able to continue. "Yes, well, we discovered that it wasn't you they were after." This proclamation was met with unrestrained outbursts from the boys in front of him. Only Ali remained silent, though one could see the rage burning behind her silver eyes. Protests echoed throughout the room and the one that was most common was the query of if it wasn't Ali they were after, then who?

Koenma managed to quiet them and ordered them to follow him. He showed them to a door behind his desk that they hadn't ever known was there. He took out a key and opened it and led them down a dimly lit corridor. Ali and Hiei walked in the back, and wondered where Koenma was taking them and how they had anything to do with it. After a while, Ali whispered, "I'm sorry for hitting you earlier, Hiei. There was really no reason for it."

Hiei looked at her then looked back to the path ahead. "Hn," was all he said, but he added, "It's alright." She smiled a little and looked ahead to their destination.

Soon after, they arrived at the end of the corridor and were in front of a heavy steel door. "Where are we?" Yusuke asked, voicing the thoughts of all the others present.

"Behind this door," Koenma stated, "is what the Manawydans were really after and in just a minute, you'll see why they attacked Ali." As he opened the door, they all felt a chill run down their spines. The room was extremely cold and Kurama held Ali close becauseshe was only wearing a T-shirt. As they walked in further, they were greeted by the sight of a girl lying asleep in a glass coffin. However, the encasement was not what had stunned them. The girl lying in the encasement looked exactly like Ali, but with longer and slightly darker hair.

Both Ali and Hiei walked over to her. "I-i-is she dead?" Ali stammered in a whisper.

Koenma shook his head. "Not exactly. We found her nearly dead a long while back and she's been in this cryogenic state ever since."

Hiei rounded on Koenma and lifted him up by the collar of his shirt. "What have you done to her!" The rest of the Tantei were shocked to see Hiei grab Koenma so suddenly and weren't sure how to respond. Ali was gaping at the girl in the glass tube. It looked almost as though she were staring at her reflection.

Yusuke was the first to recover and speak. "You know that girl?"

Before Hiei could snap back a retort, Ali's voice caused them to turn to look at her. "Sayuri…"

Koenma nodded as Hiei let him down and stormed out of the room. "As Ali said, the girl's name is Sayuri. You may have noticed the strong resemblance between the two. The fact of the matter is, they are twin sisters." The boys who remained gawked at Ali and her unconscious twin. This was completely unexpected and no one was quite sure what to say, although their heads were swimming with hundreds of questions. Koenma's gaze never left her. "You remember now, don't you Ali."

They looked to her and saw tears in her eyes. She put her hands to her head and sank to the floor on herknees and cried out as repressed memories came flooding back. Memories of pain and anguish, memories of anger and fear, all came back to her now. She had forced herself to forget the Legend and her previous life, and she had succeeded, but now she remembered almost all of it. "Why?" she screamed. "Why her!" They wanted to comfort her, but had no idea how.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were utterly confused and stood silently contemplating and trying to comprehend what was happening. They didn't understand why Hiei had left so suddenly, but Koenma and Kurama knew. Ali was sobbing uncontrollably and was trembling with each convulsing sob. Kurama went over to her and hugged her tightlywhile gently rocking her.

When it seemed as though she had calmed down, as she had relaxed considerably, Koenma spoke quietly. "Ali, I am sorry you had to see her in this condition, but I felt you needed to see her." He watched her solemnly. Kurama still hadn't released her. "You understand, now, why the Manawydans attacked you?"

She wiped her eyes and nodded, still clinging to Kurama. "They thought I was her," she whispered. "And it was probably Sayuri who Hitokiri was after too, am I right?" Koenma didn't need to answer; they knew it was the truth. Ali sighed. "I just can't get away from that damn Legend," she growled.

Kuwabara, who up until this moment had been gaping wide-eyed at the girl in the freezer, heard her say this and suddenly became more interested. "Legend?"

Yusuke echoed this at almost the same moment. "What Legend?" All four looked to Ali for the answer. Koenma knew they would all need to know, but Ali seemed too preoccupied with haunting memories to answer so he explained.

"There is an old legend in the Makai among the wolf demon race which stated that a pair of wolf demons would be born with immense power, enough to destroy all three realms and control them all. However, it was just a legend."

Ali interrupted him. "You damn well know that it was more than just some silly legend. And you realize as well as I do that it is being fulfilled! You also know that it isn't talking about just any wolf demons. Sayuri and I are the Wolves of Legend." She finished her testimony with a hint of indignation.

Kurama knew of a part of the Legend, or rather Yoko informed him of it, and continued for her. "Back when the Legend was just a mere frightening myth, all demon races divided into three major groups: those who feared the power and wanted it gone, those who wanted the power for themselves, and those who feared for the power and wanted to protect it. In the end, those who feared the power triumphed over the others."

Koenma nodded solemnly. "It was one of the most brutal massacres in the history of all time. Never before, nor since, have I seen an entire race be wiped off the face of the world." His eyes wandered softly over to Ali and the identical girl in the glass encasement. "They are the only two wolf demons left according to our records."

"I just remember the screams and howls of our pack being mercilessly slaughtered, not long after other demon races found out about us," Ali said through clenched teeth. "My mother got us to safety before running back to try and help the pack. She never came back." She cried again.

"You were very young when that happened," Koenma commented sorrowfully. "I'm sure it must have been terrible for you."

She turned to him with a glare of intense annoyance. "You have no idea how bad it was. The War for Wolves' Power waged on for decades, over a century. It dictated our lives, my life. The majority of our lives were spent running and hiding while we could only watch as our race was destroyed for trying to protect us. We traveled from pack to pack and they would always protect us. They realized we were the "special ones" when we would accidentally unleash some of our unique powers. Yet they were never resentful of us. On the contrary, they felt honored to meet us and wanted to protect us even more." She sighed and then smiled slightly at a rare happy memory. "It wasn't always hell, though. There were times when we could live as normal pups."

_FLASHBACK_

"Ha! You missed!" yelled a young Ali. She and her sister were playing dodgeball on opposite teams with other wolf demons their age.

Sayuri playfully threatened her. "Don't worry Ali, I'm saving a special one for you!" They and four others about their age were throwing objects at each other across an imaginary line and dodging all the projectiles.

One of the other pups, a male, threw a rather large rock at Ali. She looked up just in time to see it coming. She closed her eyes and braced herself for impact, but it never came. She opened her eyes again to see the boy knocked to the ground and the small boulder lying not far from him. All the others looked from the boy to her and one brave child asked, "How did you do that?"

With wide eyes she stared at the boy who was just regaining consciousness. "I-I-I don't know," she stammered. However, they were not afraid of her nor were they angry. On the contrary, they thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

"He threw a rock at her and it just stopped right before it could hit her and it flew back at him!" they chattered. It wasn't long before news of this incident reached the elders of the pack and they realized that the orphans they had picked up were in fact the Wolves of Legend. They vowed to protect them and did so with their very lives.

_END FLASHBACK_

"Ali?" someone asked and snapped her back to reality.

She sighed as she told them of this memory. "In the end, some other demons always discovered us and attacked the group we were with." She looked over at her unconscious sister. "Sayuri was always the one getting me away. I tried to refuse, I wanted to help. If we had so much power, why couldn't we protect them?" She sat quietly gazing at Sayuri.

Yusuke said softly, "Wow, I had no idea you had such a rough life."

She smiled slightly and laughed. "Yeah, neither did I. Not for a while anyway."

Kurama looked at her questioningly. "But one thing still bothers me. What happened to her?" he asked, referring to Sayuri.

"I honestly don't know," Ali replied with an air of melancholy. "We had an argument one day and we went our separate ways. I didn't see her again after that."

"So why did you completely forget about her?" he queried.

She thought hard on that. She tried to remember but there were some memories her mind just would not let her recollect. "I don't know," she said after a few moments.

Koenma looked from Ali to the boys and back to Sayuri. "I think we should move out of here. We've been here long enough," he said and they agreed. When they returned to his office, Ali excused herself and left.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's more to this thing that we don't know?" Yusuke commented.

Koenma looked to him. "Because that's exactly right. For some reason Ali's memories are distorted. She doesn't seem to want to remember something."

"Whaddya think it could be?" Kuwabara asked.

Koenma sat down at his desk. "I don't think," he said, "I know. Ali was correct in her recollection of her argument with her sister. They had fought over the issue of loyalty to their pack. Wolves are very loyal to each other, especially their loved ones. So as they grew older, Ali began to question their tactics. If they were attacked, she, being the sweet girl that she is, would insist they stay and fight with the pack. Sayuri would, almost literally, have to drag Ali away to safety. This was their only conflicting view and it created a rift between them until one day they went their separate ways."

The three boys sat quietly as they listened and absorbed the new information. After a few minutes Yusuke asked, "So what happened to them?"

Koenma sighed. "I had been tracking them for some time before they split up. I had made several attempts to contact them and offer them sanctuary. But every time I got close, they'd slip away. And before I realized it, they had split up. Ali went on to hunt demons that had attacked and killed anyone she had called "family". With the more demons she killed, she seemed to be discovering her extensive power, and it scared her. She had slaughtered many demons in revenge for their complicity in attacks on her family, but I think she realized she was going too far and she soon disappeared without a trace.

"Sayuri, however," he continued, "had gone and done almost the exact same thing. She also sought out demons that had helped murder her familybut would torment them before killing them. Like Ali, she too was discovering the extent of her powers and abilities, but unlike Ali, she loved it. You could say she was "corrupted" by it. Sayuri started killing for her own enjoyment."

"Yes, I remember this," Kurama interjected. "She was a skilled assassin and thief. Yoko had even crossed paths with her once. He always thought of her as a worthy opponent."

"He even wished her to be his mate, am I right?" Koenma asked.

Kurama nodded. "He was intrigued by her power and I think that's what scared her away. She worried that he just wanted her for her power, so she left." Yusuke and Kuwabara had been silent and listened awestruck.

"You two may be wondering about Hiei's reaction to Sayuri's condition and why he had left so suddenly." Koenma continued and they nodded. "Not long after Sayuri had left Yoko, she ran into Hiei. He took an interest in her and they formed a partnership."

"Some would say he even fell in love with her," Kurama commented.

"No! Not Hiei!" Kuwabara burst out in shock.

"Surely you've seen his behavior around Ali?" Koenma stated. "Most likely, she reminds him of Sayuri."

"Wow," said Yusuke as he pondered over it. "I just can't picture Hiei having a girlfriend," he mused.

"But why didn't he remember either of them?" Kuwabara wondered.

"The War for Wolves' Power ended with a huge battle in Makai," Koenma recounted. "Ali had resurfaced from wherever she had been hiding and had once again joined up with Sayuri. They found themselves surrounded and a deadly battle ensued. Hiei and Yoko Kurama fought with them as well. I assume Yoko had met Ali after Sayuri had left him and looked after her."

"That would explain my feelings for her," Kurama stated.

"Yes, Hiei and Yoko were fighting to protect them, but it wasn't enough. In the end there was a massive release of energy and Yoko was severely wounded, Sayuri was incapacitated, Hiei suffered several wounds, including one to his head, and Ali had just disappeared. When we got to the battlefield, we recovered Sayuri's body and she's been in that cryogenic state ever since."

"But why didn't Ali or Hiei or I remember anything?" Kurama asked, confused.

"Do you recall what Ali said in the cryogenics lab?" Koenma answered. "She told us about a memory from when she was young, of a dodgeball game she had played with other pups." They all nodded. "She said she was almost hit with a small boulder, but it was sent flying right back at the boy who threw it. Either she telekinetically stopped it and sent it back, or she managed to throw up a barrier around herself. You will also remember that she is a telepath like Hiei. Nor can we put aside the fact that she can sometimes have visions of the future."

"Yes," interjected Yusuke, "but what does this have to do with their memories?"

"It means she has psychic abilities," Kurama stated softly.

Koenma nodded. "Exactly." It was clear that Yusuke and Kuwabara were still confused so Koenma elaborated. "I believe the massive release of energy that ended the final battle came from Ali and with that psychic blast she distorted the memories of everyone involved, including her own."

They sat in silence for almost five minutes. Yusuke and Kuwabara were finding all this new information hard to digest. But suddenly now everything made sense. Ali lived in fear of being attacked for reasons that were unknown to her. Now they had heard the truth behind her past and they felt a strong sense of pity for her. She had lived through such hardship that she had forced herself to forget it all and now it was starting to come back to her.

"So," said Yusuke after a while, "what do we do know? Do we wait for her to remember? Tell her? Just forget about it?"

Koenma closed his eyes in thought. "We'll wait for a little while for her to remember. She'll have to remember eventually. If she doesn't remember soon, we'll have to tell her ourselves." They nodded in agreement and went on their way, each silently worrying for her as they returned home.

Meanwhile, Ali had gone to her cliff alone. Hiei didn't come for the first time since she started going and she wished she knew where he was. She needed someone to talk to. A lot had happened in the course of the day as repressed memories came back to her. She was going to have to figure out her past, and she was afraid to do it alone.

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_A/N: Whew, that was a long one. Man, I swear these chapters just keep getting longer and longer. Please let me know if they are too long. I'm sure I can split up chapters if it would help. This chapter was actually 10 pages written in my notebook, and I think when I went back and typed it up, I extended things and added more detail and it actually ended up being almost 9 pages typed. Well, I am so sorry for the extended delay in getting this chapter posted. I need to update more often, and I know I have to work on Forbidden Love too. Oh, and anyone reading this who enjoys Code Lyoko should look forward to my new fanfic for it. I was watching it one afternoon and an idea just popped into my head so I started typing. Should be interesting. I have too many things going don't I… xD I can't help it! Oh well. Until next time! Next chapter: Sayuri's Return. DUN DUN DUN Please review!_


	15. Sayuri's Return

_A/N: Hello again folks. Sorry it's been so long, but as school is in full swing it's been difficult for me to get around to typing up my story. Midterms are coming up so hopefully I can get a couple typed up. But you've all waited long enough and I won't keep you waiting any longer. Here's chapter 15. Please review!

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**Chapter 15: Sayuri's Return**

No one saw or heard from Hiei in the days that followed the trip to the cryogenics lab where Ali's twin, Sayuri, had been revealed to the Tantei. Ali hadn't quite been herself either and with everything that had happened in the last few weeks, no one could blame her. After having been attacked, sent into a traumatic coma, being reintroduced to her twin sister she forgot she had, and having haunting memories flood her mind there was plenty of reason for her to be a little off.

Keiko and Botan would keep an eye out for her while they were at school and if any of their friends questioned her odd behavior, they would simply answer, "She's going through a rough time." The majority of the people at school were sympathetic, but there were still a few jerks who would try to take advantage of her situation. Once she had knocked a couple unconscious for a day, they all backed off.

"That Shinamori girl is one tough chick when she's pissed," one boy said, gossiping in the locker room. "She could be tougher than Yusuke Urameshi!"

"No way," another replied. "No one is more hardcore than him, and especially not some little girl."

"I think she is," the first guy responded, "and have you noticed how he and Kuwabara hang around her like bodyguards?"

A third guy laughed. "I've seen her fight. She could be _their _bodyguards!" And so the rumors started running through the school; Ali Shinamori could kick ass and she was dangerous so no one wanted to get on her bad side.

About a week after seeing Sayuri, Ali was back at her cliff, lost in thought and trying to sort out her problems. She didn't hear Hiei come up behind her. "Have you figured it out yet?" he asked.

She turned, startled by the sound of his voice. "Figured what out?" she replied after quickly regaining her composure and turning her face back toward the ocean.

"Hn. I don't know why you won't remember, but if you don't very soon, someone else is going to remind you," he stated with a hint of annoyance.

Ali's features shifted to something of confusion, but she didn't speak and just continued to stare toward the horizon. After a few minutes of silence she said, "I know. But I've tried and failed. I don't know what it is I don't want to remember." She fell silent again for a moment before turning to him. "Where have you been all week?"

Before he could answer, Botan flew down to them on her oar. "There you two are! Koenma needs you, pronto! It's an emergency!" The tone of urgency in her voice and fear in her eyes convinced them to go without argument.

_What do you think could be the problem?_ Ali asked Hiei, telepathically.

_I don't know, _he replied, _but we'd better hurry._ They picked up their pace and arrived at a portal to Koenma's within two minutes of Botan's summoning them.

"What's the matter, Koenma?" Ali asked, and then noticed that Yusuke and Kuwabara were not present. "Where are the others?"

"Probably at the arcade. They won't be joining us," Koenma replied solemnly. "There's been a break-in," he said with a look of pity toward her.

"Where?" Ali asked with a look of confusion. Koenma was silent and Ali realized what it meant. Her eyes widened in fear and worry. "No, not there! How?"

"We don't know, but someone found out about Sayuri, most likely someone who was after her in the first place. They broke into the chamber where we'd been keeping her and now she's gone."

Hiei was furious. "How could you let this happen! Some ruler you are, do you know what this could mean? All three realms are in danger now!"

"Yes Hiei, I know," he replied calmly. "But they are still missing one key." He looked at Ali, who at this point had been thinking hard about something.

She stopped and looked up at him. "You mean me?" Koenma nodded.

"But still, even with one of them, whoever has Sayuri is still a threat to us!" Hiei stated, glaring at Koenma. Koenma met his glare with a stern look.

While they were staring each other down, Ali quietly got up and started to leave. They turned to look at her as she stood in the doorway. "Ali?" Hiei said.

"C'mon, let's go," he heard her say.

"Go where?" he asked with a slight indignation in his voice.

She turned to look at him with a fierce determination in her eyes. "We're going to get Sayuri." Hiei softened a little and grinned, pleased with her apparent desire to find her sister.

Koenma was baffled. "How will you find her? We don't know who took her or where they went with her!"

Ali smiled, the usual glint back in her eyes, something they hadn't seen in a couple of weeks. "Hiei? Do you know where Yukina is?" she asked.

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "What's that got to do with Sayuri?"

"Just answer my question."

He slowly responded, still confused as to why she wanted to know. "Yeah… she's with that baka ningen."

"How would you know that? You haven't been around for a week," she said sweetly.

"I just know," he replied with a slight challenge in his tone. Ali smiled and nodded and began walking out the door again.

"You still didn't answer my question!" Koenma cried.

She turned to him and smiled. "It's a twin thing." Hiei nodded, now understanding why she had asked about Yukina, but then he wondered how she knew about it in the first place. He followed her out, trusting her instincts of where Sayuri would be.

She walked through a portal that took them to Makai. "It's probably dangerous for you to be here," he said to her.

She shrugged, but did not overlook the concern she heard in his comment. "It doesn't matter," she said, "because I can defend myself. And if I can't, I have you to back me up." She smiled and walked on ahead.

They walked for a while in silence. Eventually, curiosity got the best of Hiei and he asked, "How did you know that Yukina was my twin? I don't remember ever telling you."

Ali put a finger to her temple. "Telepath, remember?" She laughed. "Not that I needed to probe your mind to figure it out." She stopped and faced him. "I've seen the way you look at her. I've sensed your anger at Kuwabara for loving her. You love her the only way a brother can." She smiled tenderly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Yoko was the same way with me." She stopped almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth. "Wow, I'd forgotten about him," she said in disbelief.

Hiei looked at her quizzically. "Yoko's your brother?"

She laughed again. "No, but he looked after me like you look after Yukina. You wouldn't happen to know what happened to him, would you?" she asked hopefully. She stopped and smiled at the thought of seeing him again. "You think he'd be happy to see me? I wonder if he'd be proud of how strong I've grown…"

Hiei couldn't help but smile. "He is. And he's been with you all this time." She looked at him questioningly. "Kurama," he stated and suddenly it clicked in her head.

"He was wounded in that final battle!" she exclaimed and Hiei nodded in confirmation. "So… he had to take refuge in a human body?" Hiei nodded again. "I can't believe I never made that connection before. Our Kurama and Yoko Kurama are one and the same."

Hiei smiled and gently took her hand in his. "C'mon, let's go get Sayuri." She smiled and they walked on in whatever direction Ali felt was right. Hiei had noticed a change in her behavior and attitude since they arrived in Makai. She seemed much happier than she had in weeks and he couldn't help but wonder if being in Makai was affecting her the way it had always affected him. It was like returning home after a long journey and it refreshed him.

"If I may ask," her voice broke him from his thoughts, "why did you come here with me?"

He was a little confused. "Didn't you ask me to come?"

"Yeah, but that didn't mean you had to," she replied.

"True, but otherwise you would have been unprotected."

She stopped and looked at him. "There's more to it, isn't there," she said, her eyes searching his. He could see something in them he'd never seen there before, but he couldn't quite place it. He thought about how he should respond but he found he wasn't quite sure why he had come. He thought he just wanted to find Sayuri but now he was thinking he just wanted to be near Ali. She smiled and took his arm in hers. "Come on, I want to show you something."

With a playful gleam in her eye, she ran off, pulling him along. Together they ran to a forest and on through it to a place that had a small lake complete with a waterfall and a sky that resembled something from the Ningenkai. "Where are we?" he asked, looking around in wonder and amazement.

"This is where I used to live," she said as she closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh air. "The only way to find it is if you already know where it is."

"So why are we here?" he asked.

"I need to get a few supplies and I wanted to show you my home. Feel free to walk around until I get back. I'll only be a few minutes." She jumped up to the top of the waterfall and ran off.

He watched her go and walked around, taking in the scenery. _She seems to like places with trees and lots of water._ He smirked to himself. _Sayuri was the same way, just not as spastic._ As he walked around he realized the area was a lot larger than it seemed and he wondered how a place so beautiful could exist in the land of demons. _This place is so big, it would probably be great for training._

"It is," he heard her say and he turned quickly, startled that she had sneaked up on him. "That's why I love it here. It's beautiful, peaceful, and great for training."

"I see you got your supplies," he said, looking her up and down. She had changed from shorts and a T-shirt into a pair of low-rise jeans, a black cami top, black boots, and was fully armed with a sword on her waist, bow and full quiver of arrows over her shoulder, and a rather large gun strapped to her back. "Got enough?" he asked.

"Yep, I even packed a few explosives in the secret pocket on my quiver," she said. He stared at her in disbelief. "Hmmm, maybe I should grab my bat."

Before Hiei could respond, another voice answered, "The sword and bow will be plenty." Ali turned, elated to see him. "I thought I told you to get rid of the bazooka."

"Yoko!" she exclaimed as she practically jumped on him and hugged him. "What are you doing here?"

"Someone has to look after you and I figured I'd find you here," he said. "Besides, I thought you could use some help locating Sayuri."

"How did you- oh never mind." She figured he must have known because of his other half. "Will the others be coming?" she asked.

He shook his head "no." "I don't think it would be a good idea to bring humans to the Makai, and I doubt they even know about her disappearance." Ali nodded and Hiei looked from one to the other. Yoko grinned and said, "Get rid of the bazooka and we'll go."

Ali pouted a little. "But I like my bazooka!" she protested. He gave her a stern look. "Fine," she sighed as she discarded the oversized weapon and smiled warmly. "It would've just slowed me down anyway."

Yoko smiled and nodded. "See? I always know what's best," he said and rubbed his hand through her hair, messing it up a bit. "Heh, nice hair," he said with a smirk.

She growled and tackled him to the ground. "Why don't we just shorten yours?" she smirked, but before she could grab her sword he flipped her under him and pinned her to the ground.

"And I can still beat you too. Nothing's changed," he said with a smile as he stood and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up. "C'mon, let's get going," he said.

"Who says you're calling the shots?" asked Hiei, who up until this point had been watching them with a well-concealed disgust.

"I'm not," Yoko replied, "she is."

Ali took them each by the arm and started leading the way back out. "That's right, so you have to do what I say! And I say we go find my sister." They both nodded in agreement and followed her out.

Hiei couldn't help but notice how much happier she seemed as he watched her chat with Yoko while they walked onward in search of Sayuri. It only confused him more because Sai could be in serious danger and Ali was just happy to have Yoko back. _Hn. That's just like her, _he thought. _Now matter hw bad things get, she's always smiling._

Ali suddenly stopped and closed her eyes, seeming to sense the area around her. Yoko looked about cautiously, making sure there was nothing else around. He knew all too well the dangers of Maki and was not about to let anyone get her. He loved her too much to let that happen.

"She's not much farther," Ali said, finally breaking from her trance.

"How many were with her?" Hiei asked.

Ali frowned. "There was no one. It seemed like there was no one with her. It's as though she's out on her own." Hiei felt that something just wasn't right, but they continued walking anyway.

After a short while, Ali stopped dead again and Yoko and Hiei looked straight ahead where they saw what had caused her to halt. "Sayuri," she whispered. The girl standing just feet away had waist-length dark brown hair and was otherwise identical to Ali. She turned at the sound of her name.

"Ali?" She stared at her twin who suddenly started running toward her.

"Sai!" She reached her sister and embraced her tightly. "I'm so sorry," Ali sobbed as her sister returned the tight embrace. "I shouldn't have left, you were right all along. I was an idiot for leaving."

Sayuri spoke softly. "Hush, don't talk like that. It was as much my fault as yours. I shouldn't have let you go." They cried together and continued to console each other.

Yoko and Hiei stood in the background watching the emotional reunion. Yoko quietly spoke to Hiei. "So what are you going to do?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"You can't have them both." Hiei did not reply and Yoko studied him as he watched the two girls. "If you hurt Ali, I swear I'll kill you, and I promise it will be slow and painful." Hiei glared at him as he watched Yoko walk over to the girls.

"Why are you here Sayuri?" Ali asked her twin. "I mean, weren't you kidnapped?"

Sayuri frowned a bit. "I'm not entirely sure. I remember falling asleep for a long time. When I woke up, someone was taking me somewhere. I think it was one of the demons who were after us so long ago. I managed to escape, however, and I came to find you."

They fell silent for a bit. Hiei was watching Ali and Sayuri, confused with his own emotions and contemplating on Yoko's comment. He was lost and hated the feeling. Seeing them together was weird and he felt like he was seeing double. Finally Yoko broke the silence. "We should get you two back to Koenma. I'm sure he'll be pleased to find you both safe."

The twins nodded in agreement and walked with Yoko back toward the portal to Koenma's. Hiei trailed far behind, still lost in his thoughts. _Why is he suddenly so distant? _Ali wondered. She still had no knowledge of his past with Sayuri.

The two girls chatted the whole way back. After all, they had a lot of catching up to do. "So Ali," Sayuri nudged her, "got a boyfriend yet?" she said with a sly grin.

Ali's cheeks flushed a light pink. "Knock it off Sai."

Sayuri mock-gasped. "Flirty little Ali still doesn't have a boyfriend?" She laughed. "Then again, you never really wanted one."

Ali frowned. "No, I did. But because of who I am, I refused to love anyone in order to protect them."

"You're way too soft," Sai said, folding her arms behind her head. "Just because people are after us shouldn't keep you from loving someone." She was thinking of Hiei and worried that he may have found someone new. She had been gone a long time and they had thought her dead. She couldn't help but notice that he was keeping a good distance.

Ali's thoughts had turned to him as well and she was thinking on Sayuri's comment about having a boyfriend. _Well, _she thought, _Yuki treats me like his girlfriend, and Hiei has kissed me, but neither one is really my boyfriend…_ She puzzled over it for a while but decided in the end that she was still single.

Soon they reached the portal back to Koenma's and he was indeed relieved to see them. "Welcome back Sayuri!" he said. They spent the next hour informing her of the news of the past few decades up to her recent capture and escape and about what was to come in the future. "I think we should enroll you in school with the rest of our group. We have a room here that can be yours."

"It used to be mine when they first found me," Ali stated. "You'll like it, it's really nice." Sayuri smiled and let Ali take her there so she could get some rest.

On her first day at school, Sayuri made tons of friends. The majority of their classmates were fascinated by the fact that Ali had a long lost twin. "It's just like something out of a soap opera!" some of the girls would say. Ali and Sai were inseparable for a while.

After a few weeks however, Sayuri began hanging out more with her new friends and admirers. At first Ali didn't mind, but when people started calling her by her sister's name or ignoring her to hang out with Sai, she became a little disheartened.

One evening she went to Koenma's just to talk to someone like Sayuri or Hiei. As she was walking she thought to herself. _I don't know why I feel so bad. I forgot how much everyone always loves Sai. She was always the outgoing people-person. I guess I never knew what it was like to be the center of attention, so when I finally got the chance, I embraced it and got used to it. Now she's back and the spotlight is hers once again._

She reached the castle and went on in. As she walked up the stairs, she could hear indistinct voices and as she got closer to the top she could make out Hiei's voice. She reached the top, rounded the corner then quickly ducked back when she saw who he was talking to.

"Have you completely forgotten everything about me?" Sayuri asked him. "Why won't you talk with me now?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten Sai," he said. "But you've been gone for so long. We've been separated for years. I didn't even know you were still alive!"

"I suppose you have Koenma to thank for that," she scoffed. "Hiei, please tell me there isn't someone else now." He hesitated. "Hiei?" she pleaded. "Don't tell me you've been substituting Ali for me because of our likeness."

He seemed shocked by that statement and neither of them heard Ali gasp around the corner. "Of course not! Why would you even say something like that about your own sister?" he replied.

"Because I love you too much to lose you to anyone, even her!" Sayuri yelled, slightly crying.

Hiei grabbed her and pulled her close to him in a tight embrace. "You don't need to worry about that." He pulled away enough to lean in and kiss her. Ali stood stunned with one hand clasped over her mouth. It wasn't enough to conceal a sharp sob that escaped her lips. Hiei heard it and opened his eyes to look up and see Ali standing there with tears in her eyes. He called out to her, but it was too late, as she turned an ran before her name could escape his lips.

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_A/N: Ok, so there you have it. Damn that was another long one. I promise the next chapter is a LOT shorter, and it should be up within the week. That much I assure you. Now it's really late again and I'm tired and I shall leave it to you to review. Next chapter: Desertion. Ja ne!_


	16. Desertion

_A/N: Hey again! Yep, I'm gonna try to get another chapter posted. And I've decided I don't quite know how this will end. I don't really like the way I have it written in my notebook, so this is an adventure for me as well! Hehe, well, here's the next chapter for you. It's a lot shorter than the past few have been. Review and make me happy!

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**Chapter 16: Desertion**

"Ali!" Hiei yelled as he let go of Sayuri and ran after her sister.

"Hiei!" Sai cried out in vain. Her suspicions of Hiei's caring for her sister were confirmed as she watched him run after Ali. It infuriated her to no end and she knew she had to catch her before Hiei did. Sai knew where Ali would go and ran off to head her off.

When she got close to the barrier to Makai, she saw Ali and tackled her to the ground. "Who do you think you are!" she yelled. Ali glared at her but did not deliver a reply. Sayuri glared back and slapped her. "You'll stay away from him if you know what's good for you," she snarled.

It stung her cheek, but Ali didn't flinch. They stood up and continued to glare at each other for a few moments before Sayuri turned and left. Ali was about to leave for the Makai, but Hiei had caught up with her. "Ali, I …" he started but she put a finger to her lips and hushed him. He watched as she reached behind her neck and unclasped the amulet she still wore. Without a word she walked over to him and placed it in his hand.

"Take care of Kurama and Sayuri for me Hiei," she said softly. He looked down at the gem in his hand then back up to see her graceful figure departing through the portal. He wanted to call out to her and make her go back with him, convince her it was all a big misunderstanding, but he couldn't find the words.

After standing there for a few minutes waiting to see if she would come back through the portal, he realized it was hopeless and left for Koenma's. That night he went out to the cliff, hoping to find her there like he always had. She never came, much to his dismay, but he was soon joined by Sayuri.

"Hiei, we need to talk."

He didn't look at her, just kept his eyes focused on the horizon. He could sense she was angry and he couldn't bear to see it in her eyes. "If it has anything to do with Ali, I don't want to talk about it," he said.

Sai sat down next to him and replied, "Fine, I don't want to talk about her either." They sat in silence, listening to the waves crashing on the shore below. They knew they needed to talk, but neither of them knew how to talk about their problems without bringing Ali into the conversation. Sayuri knew her own feelings for Hiei hadn't changed, but she feared that his had changed towards her.

"It's impossible, isn't it," she heard him say finally. "She's come into our relationship and there's no way for us to talk about it without talking about her."

Sayuri sighed and nodded. "I know. No matter what, I still love you. It just scares me to think you love her and not me now."

He turned and looked at her for the first time since she had come to the cliff. She was tense and he had known it. "I told you earlier that you don't have to worry about that," he said calmly.

She relaxed a little. "So then nothing's changed?"

"Oh things have definitely changed." He smirked. "I mean after all, you think you can just disappear for a decade and expect the world to be the same as when you left it?" She laughed and shoved him playfully. "But no, nothing's changed between us."

"Fine," she said. "That's all I ask." She snuggled closer to him and smiled to herself, happy to think he was still hers.

As he looked out over the crystalline waters below, letting Sayuri rest against him, he was contemplating whether or not he actually believed what he was telling her. Somehow his thoughts kept wandering back to Ali. Had he changed? It was possible. After all, she had come into his life without warning and looked like the ghost of a past relationship he had long thought dead.

The sun had sat and he noticed that Sayuri had fallen asleep. He carried her to Koenma's and put her in her bed as he had done with Ali so often in the past few months. He thought about going to Makai to try to bring her back, but decided against it. He had Sayuri and she was all he needed.

The next day at school, Keiko noticed that Ali was absent. When she asked Sayuri about it she received a curt response, "She wasn't feeling well today so she stayed home." She had assumed that Sayuri's quick and slightly cold reply was from worry that maybe Ali was sick. Keiko thought nothing more of it until she noticed Ali had been gone for a week and a half.

"Come to think of it, she hasn't been to our training sessions in a while," Yusuke said when Keiko asked him if he knew anything about Ali.

"You don't think something could have happened to her, do you?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Yusuke replied. "We'll ask Koenma after school. I'm sure he'd know." That afternoon he went to Koenma, as he promised Keiko.

"What do you need Yusuke?" Koenma asked when he came in.

"No one's seen Ali in over a week," he said. "Do you have any idea where she is?"

Koenma looked questioningly at him then looked at the screen in front of him. "Well, according to the tracking device, she's with Hiei. And they're coming down the hall now."

Yusuke practically burst out the door into the hall. "THERE you ar-" he started, but stopped when he saw Sayuri with Hiei and not Ali. "Where's Ali? The tracking device said she's with you."

Then Koenma walked out. "You're not Ali," he said when he saw Sayuri.

"No, I'm not," she replied with a hint of annoyance.

"But the tracking device said she's with you," he said as he turned to Hiei.

"What tracking device?" he replied, anger present in his tone and eyes. Why would they put a tracking device on her, and why was he unaware of it?

"It was a sapphire necklace we gave to her for Christmas," Yusuke explained.

Hiei was taken aback to hear this. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the precious gem she had entrusted to him before she left. "You mean this?" he asked, though he knew it was. Koenma and Yusuke exchanged worried glances. If the necklace was with Hiei, where was Ali? "She gave it to me before she left for Makai," Hiei said solemnly.

"She's in Makai!" Koenma all but yelled.

"Koenma!" Just then, a short, black-haired girl burst around the corner and almost tripped as she ran over to him.

"Nikkie?" Koenma stated in surprise as he recognized her. "What are you doing here?" He could tell she was out of breath and realized it must be urgent business.

Yusuke looked her up and down. She was hardly five feet tall, had dark blue eyes, chin-length straight black hair, and looked to be maybe 15 years old. She was wearing a short denim skirt and a black tank top with boots that gave her maybe another inch. "Who are you?" he asked, eyebrow quirked.

She turned and glared at him. "Wouldn't you like to know? Stupid human," she snarled.

Yusuke was taken aback. "You're a demon? A bit short, aren't you?" he chuckled.

Nikkie growled at him. "I'm a dog demon, and I'm not short!" she hollered as she landed a right hook to his face that sent him into the wall. She sighed. And clapped her hands together in a motion to clean them and said. "I'm vertically challenged." Then she smirked, obviously proud of herself.

Koenma rolled his eyes at Yusuke's stupidity and turned to Nikkie. "Ignore him. What is it that brings you here?"

She pushed her chin-length hair behind her ear. "I rushed here to tell you, Ali's been captured!"

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_A/N: So there you have it. Chapter 16. Nice and short for you. Hehe. Well, now we have yet another new character, Nikkie, who I put in at my sister's request. She wanted to be in my story in some way, so we brainstormed together and come up with this character. More on Nikkie will be coming up in the next chapter. I'd give you a title, as I have been doing lately, but I'm not quite sure yet what to call it. Heh, look forward to chapter 17! Hopefully coming soon!_


	17. The Truth

_A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know, it's been way too long without an update. I'm sorry about that, honest. Summer's almost here though and hopefully I'll have a little more time on my hands to be lazy than I have now. So to refresh your memories and mine, at the end of the last chapter we met Nikkie, a short-tempered dog demon and longtime friend of Ali who was recently captured in Makai. This chapter is a little about their history. Also, you may be wondering about the Legend Ali keeps talking about? Well, there's a little about that in this chapter too. It's another short one compared to some of the others I've written but I promise the chapter after this one will be long and full of fun stuff! Ok, on to the chapter!

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**Chapter 17: The Truth**

"What!" yelled Yusuke, Koenma, and Hiei in unison. "What do you mean she's been captured!"

Nikkie stared with an aggravated expression bordering on astonishment. "I mean she's been taken captive, she's being held as a prisoner, someone claimed possession of her and is keeping her in a cell! What more do you want?" She crossed her arms and stared at them quizzically.

Yusuke blinked back in surprise but quickly shook it off. "Never mind. How do you know that? Who told you?"

Nikkie sighed in frustration. "I was there when they took her. They knocked me out and when I came to, I had been moved far away from where we had been when they came."

"What were you doing with her?" Yusuke asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Sparring. What is this, twenty questions?" she said with a slight indignation in her tone.

"Well, why were you with her?" he asked, unrelenting in his interrogation.

"She's my best friend! It was part of our daily training exercises." Her irritation was becoming anger and Koenma wisely jumped in before Yusuke could ask another question.

"Why don't we all go into my office, I'll send Botan for Kurama and Kuwabara, and then, Nikkie, you can tell us everything about what happened." They all nodded in agreement while Sayuri excused herself. Hiei acted like he was going to go with her but she told him to stay so she went on her own. This clearly displeased Nikkie as she snarled softly under her breath and watched Sayuri walk off.

It wasn't long before Botan returned with Kuwabara and Kurama. The two boys greeted Nikkie hesitantly and looked to the others for some inkling as to what was going on and as to whom this new girl was. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," Koenma said. "Please, take a seat and hear what our friend has to say. She has important news regarding Ali's whereabouts and I hope she'll be kind enough to explain what's going on. Nikkie," he nodded to her, giving her the go-ahead to speak.

She stepped forward and looked to her audience, Koenma's top team. "For the two of you who just walked in, I am Nikkie, a dog demon from Makai. Don't interrupt me or make me angry and we'll get along fine." Kurama stared at her with curiosity. He couldn't help but think he knew her. "Ali is my best friend," she continued. "We've known each other for years. I lost contact with her about ten or fifteen years ago and it wasn't until just a couple weeks ago that I ran into her, literally," she added with a laugh. "She had just pulled off a heist and was escaping when she ran into me."

"Wait a minute," Kuwabara interrupted. "Did you say Ali was pulling a heist?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"You must be mistaken," he said. "Our Ali would never steal, even if she was desperate."

Nikkie laughed and it confused him. "She wasn't desperate," she said. "She does it for fun. We used to do stuff like that all the time. We were quite a team, especially with Youko."

Kurama sat upright in his chair as he realized why she was familiar to him. "Nikkie!" he exclaimed with excitement and jumped up to hug her. Everyone including Nikkie was shocked and puzzled by this gesture.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of it but hesitantly hugged him back. "Um, yes, I said that, like, five minutes ago." He pulled away and she could now see his smile. An image of Youko flashed in her mind and instantly she realized she was standing in front of a dear friend from her past. "Youko?" He nodded and she frowned slightly. "What happened to you? You used to be so handsome!"

Everyone in the room laughed, including Kurama. "I'm the vessel in which Youko Kurama resides. He was badly wounded after escaping from a heist that had gone wrong and fled to this world to hide for a few years to regain his strength."

"I see," Nikkie said reverently. "Well, he'll be glad to know our old hiding place, Ali's sanctuary, is still in perfect condition. I've made sure to take good care of it. In fact, that's where I ran into her." Hiei was the only one outside of Nikkie's little gang that had ever been to Ali's sanctuary so he was able to picture it clearly in his mind.

"She told me all about her life since the last time we had seen each other, what she could remember of it anyway. She spoke often of you guys but told me not to come here if anything were to happen to her. You guys were the only ones I could think of to turn to when she disappeared," she finished solemnly.

The Tantei sat in silence for a few moments until Kurama voiced what was on all their minds. "I don't understand why she would forbid you to come to us if she were in trouble."

Nikkie scowled and rolled her eyes. "Well, because of Sayuri," she said. Her eyes were met with the bewildered faces of the men in front of her. "The Legend! Don't tell me you don't know about it," she groaned in exasperation.

"We know a little bit," Yusuke said quietly, "but I'm beginning to believe that there's more to this damn Legend and I think you need to explain it to us." The others murmured their agreements and Koenma sat in silence, absorbing all the new information and one could see his mind was calculating the next course of action they would need to take once everything was out.

Nikkie sighed and it seemed her attitude shifted from slight indignation to empathy and the tension in the room seemed to thin itself. "Well, you won't understand anything about this if you don't know about the Legend." She shifted her weight to lean on Koenma's desk and make herself slightly more comfortable.

"Long ago, the wolf demon race made up a pretty good percentage of the population of high-ranking demons in Makai. Their intellect and strength were rivaled by few and soon they were the most powerful race in the land. All other races feared and respected them. It was even rumored that one day the wolf demons would take control and rule the Makai.

"But then it came to pass that on old folk legend would soon come true. Two wolf pups of extraordinary power would be born with the power to unite or destroy all three realms. I'm sure you realize that Ali and Sayuri are the Wolves of Legend?" she asked. Each Tantei nodded his head and Koenma inclined his as well.

"Well a war broke out to find them. All the demon races in Makai wanted to control that power. Ali and Sayuri spent their lives running and hiding. The wolf demons protected them as much as they could and often ended up paying with their lives."

"But if they were so powerful, how were they taken down so easily?" Kuwabara interrupted.

"I didn't say it was easy for the other demons to bring them down, but when many small races banded together they became a force to be reckoned with," she explained and he nodded now that he understood. "The wolf demons did have one enemy that could easily defeat them, but they'd been extinct for at least a century by the time of the massacre."

She fell silent for a moment and Kurama hung his head out of reverence for that terrible day. "That was at least a decade before the final battle which separated us."

"But when did you first meet Ali?" Yusuke queried.

Nikkie smiled. "About right after the time she and Sayuri went their separate ways, a few years before the massacre. There was more to the Legend which is part of what drove them apart. They each have their own special abilities due to the Legend, but it also states that neither one will be complete as the other one lives."

They sat in silence to absorb all the new information Nikkie had just given them. After a few minutes Yusuke said, "So it's the classic fairy-tale tragedy. One of them has to kill the other in order to have all the power?" Nikkie nodded. "Well that's just peachy," he added.

"That's why Ali left. She refused to murder her own sister. She never really cared about the power anyway. However, I can't say the same for Sayuri. Once Ali left, Sai had more time alone to think and the more she grew to love her power, the more she tracked Ali down so they could fight and one of them could gain the increase in power. When Ali and I teamed up, we managed to slip away from her and escape toAli's sanctuary. We met Youko soon after teaming up and all lived together there."

She smiled in remembrance of the good times they used to have. She laughed. "That Youko, he was quite the charmer. At first he was always hitting on one or the other of us and took a liking to teasing Ali, especially after he realized neither of us would be won over by his ploys. Then it just became an ongoing joke."

Kurama fidgeted as Youko fought to take over. Soon the silver-haired kitsune was standing in front of them and added to the story. "Ali could hit hard, both of you could," he chuckled. "Every time I would attempt to woo them, I would receive a well-delivered, and I suppose well-deserved, slap to the face. Ali would apologize for hours if we didn't stop her. She was so powerful, yet so caring. I believe that is why I loved her."

Only Nikkie noticed Hiei's slight twitch when Youko spoke of his love for Ali and she snickered to herself. "He's right though," she said. "She is a sweet girl. It's just so hard not to like her." The others nodded in agreement, though Hiei only gave a faint "Hn." Nikkie continued. "But Sayuri is blinded by her power and her desire for more. I'm sure she hired the demons that captured Ali!"

"How dare you?" Everyone jumped a little, startled by Hiei's voice. "She isn't even here to defend herself and yet you stand there berating her like a criminal."

"Exactly!" Nikkie growled. "She left! It's because she knew I would tell you the truth. We've wasted too much time here. She's probably already gone back to Makai to warn her subordinates."

Hiei glared coldly at her. "No," he said forcefully. "She left to find Ali herself."

Nikkie glowered back at him. "And how do you know?"

"Do you forget I'm a telepath?" he snarled.

She blinked back in surprise. "You are?" The piercing crimson eyes continued to scrutinize her. "I, I didn't know," she said softly before regaining her composure and coming back at him again. "Well that's fine, but we've still wasted too much time talking about this and whoever does have Ali needs to be stopped. We need to go after her now!"

Koenma stood up now and stepped between them. "I strongly agree. However, without the tracking device, I have no way to locate Ali."

Youko stepped forward, towering over all of them. "Let Nikkie and I go search for her. We'd have the best chance of tracking her down."

"That's right!" Nikkie said with a smile and went over to stand by him. "We know her better than any of you do and have a close bond with her. If anyone can find her, we can."

"Now hold on just a minute," Yusuke said, standing to his feet as well. "We've all got a special bond with her. So you've known her longer, so what? We're coming too."

Kuwabara jumped up too. "Yeah! We've rescued her once, we can do it again!" he exclaimed while pumping a fist in the air excitedly. Yusuke rolled his eyes as Nikkie giggled. Kuwabara grinned wider, pleased with himself for getting a pretty girl to smile and laugh. Then he noticed Hiei about to turn and leave. "What's the matter Hiei, don't you want to save Ali too?"

Hiei glared at him and then the rest of them. "The baka onna left of her own volition, knowing exactly what danger there was in leaving. She can save herself."

* * *

_A/N: Wow! How's that for a new chapter? You've definitely waited long enough, those faithful readers of mine who have stuck with me from the beginning. ; I've been in a creative mood this week so I've been doing quite a bit of writing. Finally got back into typing up this story too. For a while I was in a funk where I didn't know what to do with this story because I thought I needed to change some things around, but it looks as though it's going to work out as I had planned. I love it when things go the way I want them to! D Well, hopefully I'll have Chapter 18-Prelude to the Final Battle up for you soon. Only three chapters left! Ja ne!_


	18. Prelude to the Final Battle

_A/N: Well here it is, I promised it. The next chapter of _Dangerous Secrets_. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 18: Prelude to the Final Battle**

The tension in the room was thick as everyone gawked at Hiei with bewildered faces and less than happy expressions at his cold-hearted comment about their beloved friend. Even for Hiei, the caustic remark seemed cruel. Nikkie was outraged and the other Tantei plus Yoko watched in amazement as she stormed over and slapped him across the face. "How dare you!" she yelled. Hiei stood in stunned silence as she continued to reprimand him. "You may not care what happens to her, but you had better care that the fate of the worlds rests upon her safe return. We need everyone for this mission!"

Kuwabara stood near Yusuke, and neither boy could stifle a chuckle. In a way Nikkie reminded them of Keiko and they found her to be rather amusing. Even Yoko sniggered but only because it was nothing he hadn't ever seen her to before. He had been on the receiving end of many of those blows.

When Hiei refused to back down, however, Nikkie growled in frustration and put her hands on her hips in a manner of defiance. "Well fine. Maybe you don't care about Ali like we do, but what about Sayuri? She's in just as much danger as Ali is right now. Judging from your reaction to my "berating" her you must care something for her." He didn't flinch, but he knew he had been caught. When Nikkie was satisfied that she had him, she triumphantly walked back over to Koenma and announced with a smile, "Ok, we can go now."

Koenma smiled affectionately and began making the necessary preparations. In almost no time at all, a portal to Makai had been summoned and the Tantei with their guide were headed on their way. "Go get them and bring them home safe!" Koenma shouted as they disappeared into the mist.

* * *

Ali woke up several hours later to the light of the moon shining through the bars on a high window in her otherwise dark cell. She had no idea where she was, but she welcomed the familiar warmth the rays of moonlight gave as comfort. She began devising her plan of escape and took no notice of the sleeping form of her cellmate.

After about ten minutes of her silent contemplation, the other person in the cell began to stir and she was startled out of her thoughts. Having discovered that she was no longer alone, she stiffened her body and sat incredibly still, awaiting the actions of her cellmate. He stood up slowly and stretched his arms and legs, muscles tight from laying on the concrete floor. He suddenly noticed her and jumped a little. "Wh-who are you?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly and as he cautiously moved closer into the moonlight to get a better look at her.

She stood up slowly and gracefully and stepped into the light to let him look at her and to get a closer look at him. But upon getting closer she was shocked to find a familiar face. "Yuki?" He blinked back his surprise at seeing her, but did not come closer. She looked harder, eyes adjusting to the lighting, and noticed that something was different, although she couldn't quite place it.

He stepped back with tears in his eyes. "It can't be you," he whispered. "There's no way, you... you're dead." His body was thin and appeared malnourished. His eyes were sunken and dark from lack of sleep. He was shaking as he sank to the floor, leaning against the wall and completely weakened.

Ali moved carefully over to him, not wanting to frighten him any more than her presence had already done. "What have they done to you?" she whispered, reaching out a hand to caress his face and wipe away the tears. He flinched at her first touch, but quickly reveled in the warmth of her skin and leaned his head into her hand. He began sobbing uncontrollably and she took him in her arms and hugged him.

He returned her embrace, though feebily, and wept into her shoulder. "I can't believe it's really you," he said between sobs. "I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, I've been in here so long." She hushed him and continued to hug him, rocking gently to console him.

When he finally quieted, she pulled away and looked at him and smiled. "It's alright. We're gonna get out of here."

He gave her a sad smile. "I've tried many times. It's useless."

"That's not the Yuki I know," she replied cheerily. "We'll do it. I just know it." He looked away from her as though he refused to believe what she was telling him. Then she remebered how he had first reacted upon seeing her and she became curious to know why. "Yuki, why would you think I was dead? We just went to the movies a couple weeks ago."

He looked back at her now utterly confused. "Movies? What's that? Well, whatever it is, there's no way I was with you a few weeks ago cause I've been in here for nearly five years."

Ali tilted her head in confusion. "Five years?" she repeated and he nodded. She sat with her arms folded across her chest and forehead wrinkled as she thought about this. "But how can that be?" Yuki shrugged. He had no idea either. "Wait a sec, who are our captors?" she asked him.

"They're shapeshifters, call themselves Manawydans," he replied.

Ali frowned, displeased with this answer, and fell silent again for a few moments. _Those bastards again? Then, have I been dating one for the past few months? It would explain why he doesn't think he's seen me recently. But wait, why take his form?_ She sat up straight and looked him in the eye, unsure of his relation to her. "Who are you? How do you know me? And why do you think I would be dead?"

Yuki's face fell, hurt reflected in his eyes. He thought she knew who he was. She had recognized him and knew his name. "We grew up together," he replied sadly. "We were best friends as pups, and you and I are cousins."

She blinked back her surprise. "You're a wolf demon too? I thought Sayuri and I were the only ones left!" she said in disbelief.

He shook his head. "No, I'm still here too. I don't know if there are others in hiding as I was, but until today I was convinced that I was the only one left."

Ali frowned again. "But I don't understand," she huffed and Yuki tilted his head to one side in a curious manner. "Why would they keep you alive for so long? Five years, right?" He nodded. She thought hard, racking her brain for something that would make her remember. Yuki realized what she was trying to do and grabbed her hand to encourage her. She smiled and closed her eyes to try to pick her mind with more clairty. She focused on her childhood, of the memories of playing with her sister and the other pups. As she thought harder about them, the memories came slowly trickling back.

Finally she remembered a game of hide and seek with her friends and saw a young wolf pup with blond hair and immediately recognized him as Yuki. She cried out his name in joy as she opened her eyes and flung herself onto him, nearly toppling over. "It is you!! I can't believe I had forgotten. We used to be inseparable!"

He laughed as he returned her tight embrace and tried to sit up. "I'm glad you finally remember," he said happily, smiling for the first time in, what seemed to him, an eternity. "It's just too bad it had to be under these circumstances." He looked around their small cell and she did the same.

"At least they locked us up together," she said. He nodded and they fell silent for a while. Neither one really knew what to say. They both had so many questions they wanted to ask the other and they had a lot of catching up to do. But they also knew they needed to formulate a plan of escape. Lost in their thoughts, Ali finally broke the silence by thinking aloud. "But then, who's the Yuki I've been spending so much time with lately?" It hit her almost immediately. "A Manawydan has been my boyfiend since Christmas? And in the form of my cousin?!" she hollered in disbelief and disgust. "That would explain why they've kept you alive so long, to get to me. But when they realized I didn't know or remember you they used it to their advantage. Now that I think about it, I never could read his mind."

Yuki gasped. "You would have read my mind?" he said mock-shocked and grinned.

"Ha ha, very funny," she said and playfully shoved him. They laughed together and the cell filled with an air of cheerfulness despite the dank and morose mood a prison should instill in its captives. When Ali suddenly stopped, Yuki did too and wondered why. She was frowning again as she spoke. "That also explains Sayuri's reawakening! Once I was shown to her location, all the fake Yuki had to do was search my mind and find her for himself.

She was cut short by the sound of someone applauding her and she jumped to her feet, ready to fight. She looked up into the dark face of a Manawydan. "Very good my dear," he said, his coarse voice scraping her whole being as he spoke from a safe distance on the opposite side of the bars of her cell. His malicious grin caused her to growl under her breath. "I see you've figured it all out. We had hoped to lure you here by using her as bait, but we never anticipated she would escape in being transferred here. You can't imagine how elated we were to watch you come through the barrier all alone.

Ali mentally kicked herself for such a foolish mistake and shook with anger, both at her own stupidity and at her hideous captor. "So what do you plan to do now that you have me? Sayuri is still free and I plan to escape just as she did."

The shapeshifter laughed and changed his form. He looked like the mirror image of Ali but his hair was longer and darker. "Dear sister, I won't be free much longer. Our friends are going to deliver me straight here and we shall both be destroyed."

Ali, infuriated, ran to the bars of her cell and lashed out, trying to reach the creature. "Don't you DARE speak to me with her voice!" she screamed at it. The Sayuri doppleganger merely cackled and walked away. "Bastard!!" She slumped to her knees and her anger subsided as Yuki came over and put his hands on her shoulders, comforting her as she quietly sobbed.

* * *

Nikkie, Yoko, and the rest of the Tantei emerged through the other end of the portal Koenma had opened for them. Their main priority was locating Ali. So far as they knew, Sayuri was still free and did not need any rescuing. Nikkie still did not trust her and Yoko understood why. When she went off to scout out the area ahead, he told the others some of her history with Sai.

"When Sayuri realized that she would never be complete without Ali's power, she hunted her down," he explained. "Once Nikkie met up with Ali, that meant she hunted Nikkie too. Anyone who got in Sai's way was just one more enemy to get rid of. Somehow they always managed to escape unscathed.

"Ali was generally peaceful. About her, that I do remember clearly. She was capable of becoming incredibly pissed off, and her demon nature still led her to kill every now and then, but she would never kill family for power. Once she left Sai to go her own way, she made two close friends, Nikkie and myself.

"Unfortunately, Sai fell under the guidance of corrupt demons whose only desire was more power. They taught her to embrace her power, love it, and brainwashed her of any and all morals. Ali had hoped that, by refusing to fight her or kill her, Sai would remember that they were all either of them had left and nothing should separate them," he finished.

They continued on their way and met up with Nikkie again. "I talked to a few demons I found and politely asked them a few questions." She smirked and they didn't care to ask what her definition of polite was. "Apparently there's a small fortress several miles north of here. By my calculations, if we hurry, we'll be there in an hour."

"Let's get going then," Yusuke ordered and they ran ahead where Nikkie had pointed to them.

After a few minutes, curiousity had gotten the best of Kuwabara and he asked, "How did you meet Ali?"

She laughed and told the story of her first encounter with Ali.

_FLASHBACK_

Having narrowly passed through the booby-trapped hallway, a short black-haired demon with a dog's ears and tail stood before a massive bolted door. There was a small keypad to the side of it and she went over to it and punched in a few numbers, cracking the code that unlocked the door to the safe. She walked in triumphantly and stared at the large amulet of amethyst she had come in for.

Just before she could get over to it, however, the vent cover fell in front of her and a silver-haired woman with a wolf's ears and tail dropped down. She reached for the amulet but Nikkie tackled her to the ground. "That's mine!" she yelled.

The other girl glared at her. "No, I want it. I was here first," she said as she growled and bared her fangs. Nikkie did the same.

Suddenly the alarms went off and they broke their staredown. The wolf snarled. "Damn, let's go!" She grabbed Nikkie and half-dragged, half-pulled her out of the building.

"What are you doing?!" Nikkie shouted once she managed to wrangle herself free from the other girl's tight grip a safe distance away from the attempted robbery. "You didn't even grab the amulet!!"

She chuckled. "Don't ruffle your fur over it. It's only one necklace."

Nikkie's face had turned a deep shade of red that nearly matched her eyes and reflected her anger. "ONLY ONE NECKLACE?!" she all but screamed. "I've been planning this heist for three weeks and you just screwed it all up!!" She was breathing heavily and had been flailing her arms through the air in exasperation.

The other girl blinked back her surprise and looked at her curiously. "Really?" Nikkie dropped her arms to her sides and the look on her face was of utter disbelief. No way this new girl was serious. The next words out of her mouth, however, quickly had Nikkie convinced otherwise. "I was just passing through and thought I'd pick myself up a souvenir. I was just doing it for the thrill of it," she said and grinned.

Nikkie stared at her wide-eyed, with one eyebrow raised and her mouth hanging open. When she regained her composure she said the only thing that had been running through her mind since she met this girl. "You're psychotic." To her surprise, the girl began to laugh and soon Nikkie did too. She held out her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Nikkie."

"The name's Ali," she replied and shook Nikkie's hand. They got along after that and they traveled together all around Makai, eventually teaming up with Yoko and moving to Ali's sanctuary.

_END FLASHBACK_

"And that's pretty much how it all started," she finished.

They had all enjoyed the tale but Yusuke asked a question that was on the minds of the others who hadn't known her before. "Wait, silver hair?"

Yoko picked up the tale here. "The Ali you know has brown hair. The Ali we're familiar with has silver hair. You remember Koenma telling you before how wolves are deceivers. She can take a human form while in the ningenkai, the form you are all familiar with. But she is still a demon and has a true form. She must have taken that human form to protect herself before losing her memory after the final battle and fleeing to your world. It's similar to the way I have a human form, Suiichi. Wolf demons can feign their appearance. It's one reason why we don't know if there are others left. Sayuri, too, is not in her true form."

Yusuke and Kuwabara were trying to picture Ali with silver hair and grinned at the girl in their fantasies. Nikkie knocked them both on the head. "Idiots..."

Hiei was also trying to remember Ali with silver hair. He figured she must have been in her true form at the time of the final battle. According to Koenma, he had been there. He tried to remember Sai too but he coldn't picture her in her true form either. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he was comparing the two. _What is wrong with me?_ he wondered. _Why do I care if Sayuri wants to kill Ali? It's natural for demons to fight for power and this is no different. Besides, I don't love Ali, I chose Sayuri. But still... Damn it, this is pointless. I have myself to worry about. I don't need anyone. Caring for others only makes you weaker._ He decided to just focus on the task at hand and continued to move north toward the fortress.

* * *

While Nikkie and the Tantei searched for her, Ali had dozed off in Yuki's lap. As he stroked her hair, he noticed the brown color. He, too, had taken on a human form. He figured if there were any other wolf demons alive, they would be the same way. They may not have liked it just as he didn't but they knew it was the only way to ensure protection. Somehow though he still doubted that there were any others.

He pondered on the motives of the Manawydans for keeping them here and what they planned to do with Ali and Sai. If it had anything to do with the Legend and the two becoming one, only Ali or Sai would be able to wield the power. They wouldn't be controlled once the battle had been fought and a victor declared. What was it the creatures desired?

Ali stirred and slowly awakened, stretching as she yawned and opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw Yuki, glad to know she wasn't alone. "Hey there sleepy head," he said to her and returned her warm smile.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said as she sat up. "I would rather not have gotten a rude awakening from a Manawydan."

"I was gonna wake you up in a few minutes so that wouldn't happen," he replied.

They both jumped to their feet as they heard someone come into their cellblock. Straining in the darkness to make out the faces of the figures, Ali sniffed the air to find a scent she recognized. When the three demons arrived at their holding cell, she gasped in shock to see Sayuri. She ran to the door and tried helplessly to get to her sister. "Sai! What are you doing?!" she cried. "You've never been submissive in your life! Why are you listening to them and obeying their orders?" Her efforts to reach her sister were in vain.

The manawydans at either side of Sayuri began to laugh. "Silly wolf," the taller of the two stated, "she won't listen to you."

"She hates you," the other sneered. "She only wants to be the most powerful demon in Makai." They both laughed again as Ali searched her sister's fae for any inkling that their statements were false but her eyes held a blank emotionless stare.

The first manawydan put his hand on Sayuri's head. "She's a good girl who obeys orders. The master would be overjoyed to have you as well." He grinned maliciously as he stroked Sayuri's hair.

"Take your hands off of her," she ordered in a deep growl. She was seething with each stroke of the creature's hand on her sister's head. Her anger was reflected in her eyes as the silver iris was turning as dark as her pupils and in her half-transformation of revealing her claws and baring her fangs. "What have you done to her?" Her voice was considerably deeper now too.

The shorter manawydan glared at her. "Nothing she didn't want us to do to her." He chuckled to himself, pleased that they had upset her so, but kept a safe distance away from the bars of her cell. "Our Sayuri here came to us willingly. She seeked your power but the fact that you are her sister kept her from killing you."

"So we gave her what she wanted," the other continued. "We erased her loyalty to you from her memory."

Yuki was doing his best to hold Ali back from lunging at them through the bars. "You dirty bastards!" he yelled. "Why would you do something like that?!" Ali's anger had infected him as well. Sayuri was also his cousin and he was just as upset as Ali. He was showing his claws and fangs as well, though his eyes were not completely black as hers were.

Both of the manawydans laughed derisively and sneered at her. "Because she is one of the Wolves of Legend," the taller of the two said. "She will lead all demons into the ningenkai and rule all three realms. So of course we will obey the command of our future queen. She wanted to forget. We made her forget."

"Do you really think it wise to divulge all of our plans to them?" the other criticized.

He snarled at his partner. "It's not like they'll be able to do anything about it," he curtly replied before turning back to Ali and Yuki. There were enchantments on the bars of the cell so they wouldn't be able to break them and escape.

"True," replied the short one. "And I suppose they have the right to know that their friend willingly dropped her guard so that we could control her." Their laughing continued to infuriate Ali but when she glanced at Sayuri she noticed a change in her expression.

Sai was glaring at the demons behind her, though her eyes still held no emotion. Slowly and without the detection of her captors, her hand moved to the hilt of the sword that was strapped to her slender waist. The creatures stood no chance once she had drawn it. Ali watched in contained amazement as their blood dripped from Sai's blade and their bodies fell to the floor.

"Pitiful," she snarled as she turned from them to face her twin. "Even with their supposedly superior psychic abilities, they didn't realize I was in control the whole time. Nor that their "willing" captive and the master they spoke of are one and the same." She took the keys off the dead demon and unlocked the cell holding Ali and Yuki. "We will fight. I _am_ going to defeat you and become complete," she stated in a low voice.

Yuki wouldn't let Ali go, even if she could have willed her legs to move her. "I won't let you do this!" he yelled. "You're not yourself, your mind has been warped!" he pleaded with her. He didn't want them to fight. He didn't want to lose either of them now that he knew he wasn't alone.

But Sayuri turned a hateful glare upon him. "I did not let them do anything to me that I did not wish them to do," she snapped. "I asked them to get rid of that pesky loyalty so I would have no regrets killing her." She turned her attention to Ali. "It's high time we finished this. We must become one."

Ali wished she could refuse, but she knew that the option was out of the question. She knew Yuki didn't want them to fight and understood why, and she didn't want to have to fight her sister. The power was nothing she cared about.

As Ali hesitated and with Yuki holding her back, Sayuri got angry and leapt at him. This was motivation enough for Ali to fight and she pushed Yuki out of the way, taking the blow full force. The impact sent her through the wall and out into the moonlight. Yuki screamed their names as Sai ran out after her.

* * *

The Tantei and Nikkie had just come out of the forest and found the small fortress Nikkie had told them about. It seemed to glow in the moonlight. As they were planning their rescue and how they would get in, there was a blast from the wall and they saw Ali sliding back on her feet.

"Ali!!" they all called. She turned to see the source of who had called her name and was shocked to see all of her friends. Sayuri took advantage of her distracted state and rushed her again. Hiei instinctively called out Ali's name, not even realizing it himself. The others all cried out too as she was knocked to the ground and as Sayuri swung her sword down over her head, preparing to deliver the final blow.

* * *

_A/N: Finally. Well, we're in the final stages of this story. I know this was a long chapter, but I felt it should be a long one since I've made you all wait so very long for an update. As I was typing I thought I should try to break it up into two chapters but then I remembered you've been waiting for this so I just kept going. I love seeing how I've improved my writing over the past few years and typing up this chapter was definite evidence that I've grown as a writer. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There are only two left! I promise to have the next one up in the next week or two. For those of you who have been with me since the beginning, thank you very much! Your support means a lot to me. So don't forget to review! Next chapter: Chapter 19-Fate of the Two Wolves. See you then!_


	19. Fate of the Two Wolves

_A/N: I once again apologise for the delay, but here's the next chapter! That Legend they keep talking about is going to finally appear in full! Only one left after this one!! It's so exciting!_

* * *

**Chapter 19: Fate of the Two Wolves**

Ali lay on her back looking up at the shining sword against the backdrop of a moonlit sky as her dark-haired twin sister swung down at her. She could hear the voices of her friends all calling out to her in fear. She knew they did not want to lose her. They needed her and, quite honestly, she didn't want to die in such a fashion, and not so quickly. As Sayuri brought her sword down, Ali swiftly rolled away and up into a kneeling position.

"You can't keep running from me forever, Ali!" Sai cried as she charged toward Ali again. When she was within striking distance again, she swung her blade at Ali's waist. Ali quickly flipped backwards before the sword could reach its intended target. Sayuri continued her advance, swinging every time she got close enough, but each time Ali evaded her.

The others stood dumbfounded as they simply watched, mouths slightly agape, at Sayuri's full frontal assault. Although her blade never quite made contact with her unarmed opponent, she was still doing damage and trying to tire Ali out.

Nikkie was the first to notice someone stumble out of the battered wall where Ali and Sai had first appeared. In the moonlight she could tell it was a young man with golden hair and the manner in which he held his right arm indicated he may have been wounded. Instinct told her to stay back but curiosity willed her to go to his aid. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked as she got closer to him.

His arm was bleeding profuseley from a deep gash where a piece of the wall had flown off and hit him as Sai had thrown Ali through it with tremendous force. "I'll be alright," he shakily replied. "If Ali hadn't jumped in and knocked me out of the way, I might be in the same condition as those two bumbling idiots over there." He turned and gestured behind him where the limp bodies of the two Manawydans Sai had swiftly disposed of earlier still lay, rotting in a pool of their own dark blood.

"Let me take care of that for you," Nikkie said as she quickly and skillfully tore bits of her own robe into clean strips with which to dress his wound. He graciously thanked her. "So what's your name?" she asked abruptly.

"Yuki." He didn't break his gaze from the on-going battle and Nikkie saw a sense of pain reflected in his eyes. She realized it wasn't the type of pain from bearing a deep physical wound such as the one she was dressing, but something of the heart, an emotional wound which cannot simply be bandaged up. Realizing she was staring at him, he looked at her and spoke again, this time much more softly. "I simply don't understand why they feel they need to fight. It's completely unnecessary. There's no need for them to kill each other." He attempted to stand again and Nikkie helped him up as they watched the unfolding battle continue.

Sayuri's frustration was evident. Every swing, every advance, they were all dodged or blocked by Ali's concrete defense. She made no move to counterattack and this irritated Sai to no end. "Ali! You're holding back on me!!" she growled.

A sly smirk spread across Ali's face. "Heh," she chuckled, "so are you." Sayuri suddenly halted her attacks and grinned maliciously. She understood what her dear sister was thinking. "C'mon, let's fight at our full power," Ali suggested. "That way we'll be sure of who's the better fighter."

Sayuri nodded in agreement and suddenly both women were enveloped in light. Everyone stood watching in shock, fascination, and amazement. A bright white light surrounded Ali while a dark purple light enveloped Sayuri. The energy emanating from the two spheres was tremendous. As they dissipated, a blast of energy knocked everyone back several feet. When they regained their balance and surveyed the scene before them, the saw the world around them had been transformed into a scarred and barren wasteland.

However, the scenery was nothing compared to the sight at the epicenter of the battlefield. Beings who had previously been thought dead for at least a decade stood glowering at each other, ready to lunge at the throat of her opponent. Wolf demons had appeared before their very eyes. On their right was the silver-haired one, her golden eyes shining and kind despite the circumstances. Her silver tail and ears were tipped with white fur. She had claws and fangs to top off her demon transformation. Scars on her body from previous battles in a past lifetime were newly visible in this form. She wore a white battle kimono similar in style to that of Youko's. It was also white like his, but more feminine and form-fitting, trimmed with blue silk, and on the back was the kanji for "loyalty" in black. The tantei looked from her to him and back to her. She was shorter and more slender, but her similarity in appearance to him was anything but subtle.

On the other side was Sayuri, her twin, but much more frightening. Even though both woman stood at least a foot taller in their demon forms, Sayuri was still a few inches taller than Ali. Her violet-streaked raven-colored hair fell to behind her knees where Ali's hair was only waist-length. Her tail and ears were as black as her hair. The thing that made her so sinister was the color of her eyes. They were silver, but the pupil was demon red and hungered for battle. Coupled with her deadly claws and fangs, she was the very essence of evil. Her battle kimono was similar to Ali's, but it was shorter and black trimmed with red silk. On the back of hers was the kanji for "death" written in red.

Koenma was observing the battle from the safety of his office. The two demons on the screen were class A and incredibly formidable. "So it all ends here," he grimly stated as he looked from one of them to the other. "Once this battle has a winner, the war will be over. Whether it'll end in peace or ultimate destruction depends on who wins." Closing his eyes he recalled the Legend to his memory and recited it in its entirety.

Two pups born different from the rest  
The fate of the worlds is put to the test  
As a war breaks out in universal scale  
The surrounding earth will tell the tale  
Of the ensuing battle between close kin  
And the release of power held within  
One shall emerge victorious, the other slain  
All the power goes to the victor, with terrible pain  
For she has killed her sister for hate or love  
And the heavenly bodies circle high above  
They show whether or not night will soon rule  
Or if there is an end to the war so cruel

The Tantei turned to the blond-haired young man who had limped over with Nikkie's help as he finished speaking. "That is the Legend," he said. "One of them will die today and either bring the war to an end or begin a new one. I sense that Sayuri has been corrupted and is the "night" the Legend speaks of."

"Who are you?" Hiei snapped.

"My name is Yuki. Those two were my best friends growing up," he replied coolly but with hint of a challenge in his tone.

"So..." Kuwabara started out slowly, "you're a wolf demon too?" Yuki nodded. "Whoa."

A sudden blast made them turn their attention back to the battle in progress. Sayuri had just sent a ball of her ki at Ali which dissipated on an invisible barrier Ali had conjured before she leapt to the branch of a tree above her to dodge the next one. A blue light appeared in her left fist in the shape of a bow. As she pulled her right arm back another light of energy appeared in the distinct form of an arrow. After a brief second she released her spirit arrow towards Sayuri. Sai was prepared for the move and easily deflected it. Ali was able to reabsorb the energy from her deflected attack, but was unprepared for Sai's counterattack. She had leapt as soon as she deflected the arrow and followed it back, hitting Ali point-blank with an energy blast. It knocked her back several meters.

_Why doesn't she fight back?_ Hiei wondered as he watched Sayuri tackle Ali into a tree. _I know she's much stronger than this, even in her human form. She's only dodging or blocking the attacks but hardly making an attempt to fight back._ Sayuri sent another blast of energy at Ali and it severely grazed her left leg. She howled in pain. The sound of her cry pierced his whole being as though he was the one who had just been hit. _Why? Why does she affect me so?_ Ali was losing. Sai wasn't really more powerful, but she was more determined which made her more lethal. Hiei suddenly realized she would win if they didn't do something about it. "Ali's going to be killed!" he yelled, breaking everyone from their mesmerized states. "We have to help her!"

After a pause, they nodded and all rushed Sayuri, catching her off guard. Nikkie transformed into her true form as well; a black-haired dog demon with crimson eyes and black ears and tail. She leapt at Sayuri with her claws as Yusuke fired his spirit gun. Youko pulled out his rose whip and began swinging it at her as Kuwabara charged at her with his spirit swords. Only Hiei and Yuki stayed behind to go to Ali's aid.

She was leaning against a tree she had crashed into. Her eyes glimmered as they ran to her side. "Ali, are you alright?" Hiei asked. She could hear the concern in his voice and it was reflected in the way he looked at her.

She moaned in pain and put a hand to her head. It was throbbing from the force of the impact. "Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, her voice much deeper and sultry in her demon form than in her human guise. She surveyed the battlefield and watched for a while as her friends desperately attacked. Kuwabara was already showing signs of fatigue and Nikkie was quickly nursing her wounds as Youko and Yusuke continued relentlessly, their barrage of attacks doing no more damage to Sayuri than does throwing sticks and stones at a steel wall. "They can't win," she sighed.

"Yes they can!" Yuki hollered in encouragement. "They can and they will!" He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Ali grasped it as she shook her head and attempted to stand. "No. She's too powerful. I-" She fell back down but Hiei caught her in his arms. He held her against him for a moment before pulling away a little to look at her. A stray lock of hair had fallen in her face. He brushed it away and his face brightened a little in a facsimile of a smile.

"Don't worry," he said as he set her down and propped her up against the tree again. "We can beat her. You just stay right here." He stood to face Yuki. "Can you fight?"

Yuki grinned and nodded to the bandages on his arm. "That little scrape is no big deal. I can still fight just fine." Hiei smirked, pleased with Yuki's boldness, and the pair ran off into the fray.

Sayuri was not in the least bit pleased that Hiei was now fighting against her. His teammates had been fighting for a while now and were on the verge of exhaustion and she knew Yuki would be worthless in the battle. After exchanging a few more blows with the Tantei, she released a massive blast of energy which knocked everyone out except for Hiei and Ali. She thus halted the attack and glared at him. For several moments the air was thick with tension. The very wind ceased to blow, the earth holding its breath for fear of the demon's rage. The starless sky was pitch black as the moon had vanished as well. All life was unmoving as though time itself had stopped. Ali stood where Hiei had left her and watched the ensuing stare-down. "What do you think you are doing?" she heard Sai snarl.

Hiei's gaze did not waver as he spoke, his voice cold and unfeeling. His words hit her with unexpected force. "I will not stand by and watch you mercilessly slaughter your own sister for power."

Her face briefly drained of all color before becoming flushed again in pure rage. "Bastard! Traitor!" she yelled. "Since when do you care if she lives or dies?" Her silver eyes were cold and furious, a visual representation of the harshness in her tone.

For once, Hiei wasn't hesitant to answer that question. "Since I learned there's more to life than killing and obtaining power. She taught me to see the brighter things in life. I understand that now. But your only drive is to kill her. And yet she still refuses to fight back. That's what makes her so different from us."

"But you assured me that **I** was the one you loved!!" Sayuri protested, her energy spiking every now and then as her anger flared. "You promised me she couldn't take you away from me!"

He shrugged. "Well I lied," he casually replied. "I didn't know what the hell I wanted. But I know that when she's around I don't have to try so hard to be tough. I can let go a little and not feel ashamed for it. I finally understand how Youko felt those many years ago."

She glared at him with a look that, if looks could kill, would have killed him dead on the spot and growled so deeply in the back of her throat it reverberated over the battleground. "Fine," she snarled. "I don't need you." She slowly drew her sword again. "But if you refuse to be my mate, you will die. If I can't have you, she sure as hell can't!!" She lunged at him and hit him full force with the dull side of her blade, knocking him back to where he had left Ali.

"Damn, that was pleasant," he moaned with a grimace.

Ali rushed to his side. "Hiei, are you alright?" she asked as she helped him to a sitting position. He looked away, embarrassed that she had heard his little speech. He thought she had also been knock unconscious by Sayuri's blast earlier. He finally nodded. "You moron!" she yelled and he jerked his head to look at her in surprise. "I told you that wouldn't work," she said calmly. "I'm the only one who can stop her. And I can't delay it any longer. I know what must be done. One of us will die when this is over."

"But you're still hurt," he protested and tried to get up.

She refrained him from moving. "I'm fine now. You all bought me enough time to rest and recover my strength."

Hiei looked at her with cold yet caring eyes and a devilish smirk. "If you die, I swear I'll kill you," he said. She grinned and a playful glint flashed behind her eyes. "Oh and should you survive, if you tell anyone anything I said out there, I'll kill you for that too." She laughed and nodded.

Sayuri glared as Ali walked over to her. "I want you to know, Sai, I still love you. You are my twin sister. No matter the outcome, I will always love you." She smiled warmly and Sayuri was only agitated more.

She seethed at Ali and growled, "Let's end this now." The wolf demon sisters called on all the remaining energy they had and summoned it to the surface. There was a blinding blast that scorched the earth and the sphere of light that engulfed them floated up into the starless sky. The Tantei were regaining consciousness as it exploded and released the extreme amounts of energy upon the earth. The battle was nearly over and they all waited anxiously to see who had won in the end.

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_A/N: Well finally. It took me forever to type this one up. Seriously, I've been working on this all day. xD Of course I've also been taking care of the family and a sick child and making dinner and chatting with people and the like... but still. Lol. Well, I hope you enjoyed it. It certainly was a long one. The final chapter will likely be up within the coming week. And I'm serious about that one. Mom's off on business for a few days so I'm stuck home taking care of the little one and I have nothing better to do with myself while she sleeps. Mkay. That's about enough out of me. The next and final chapter is... Chapter 20-Saying Goodbye. See you then! _


	20. Saying Goodbye

_A/N: Well here we are, the final chapter. It's been 4 years since I posted the first chapter. Sometimes I thought I just wouldn't finish it. But motivation came in random spurts and I finally give to you the last chapter in my original fanfiction! It's been a pleasure to write for you all._

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**Chapter 20: Saying Goodbye**

The sky lit afire with the light from the massive release of energy. The two bodies which had released it floated down to the ground as their friends and comrades stood stoic, watching. The full moon had returned to the sky and illuminated the surrounding area as they landed gently on the barren land.

As soon as they were down, the remaining demons and humans ran to Ali's side, fearing the worst. The memory of her harrowing battle with the manawydan only months before was still fresh in their minds. They almost lost her then and were terrified that they might lose her in this battle. They loved her, each in their own way. Most were flashing back to their first meetings with her and thinking upon how far they've come. Together. All of them with her. They just were not prepared to lose her yet.

Suddenly, her body began twitching violently and became enveloped by a black and violet aura that audibly crackled. The electricity in the air forced everyone back several feet away from her and they could only stand by and watch helplessly. "She's the winner," Yuki explained. "Sayuri is dead, and so now all the power is being transferred into Ali. I only pray that the rapid increase in energy doesn't kill her as well."

Nikkie attempted to hold back the tears, but they streamed down her face. Yuki placed a consoling hand on her shoulder and Youko placed his gently on her head. The group stood solemnly as they watched her painful transformation. Her howls of anguish rang through the air as time seemingly stopped once again. Her body convulsed as the aura snapped and popped around her. The minutes dragged on and everyone wished for it to be over.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stopped twitching and the electricity in the air receded as the aura dissipated. The Tantei rushed to her side and found her appearance altered even more than before. Her silver hair now had streaks of black and purple throughout. It shone in the moonlight and even her skin glimmered ever so slightly.

She still wasn't moving, however, and they assumed the worst. Hiei kneeled next to her and propped her up in his arms. "Ali? Ali, wake up!" he pleaded, though his voice was commanding. _Don't you die on me..._ Nikkie was sobbing into Yuki's shoulder as he stood holding back his own tears. Kuwabara was whimpering softly as Yusuke was cursing the world and trying not to hit anything out of frustration and grief.

Only Youko remained calm and collected as Hiei picked up her limp body. He didn't believe that she was dead. _What a little drama queen..._ he thought to himself. _Shh, don't ruin the moment!_ he heard her voice in his head. He closed his eyes and began to chuckle. The rest of the group turned to him with angry, confused expressions.

Yuki was furious. "Ali just died while we could only stand by and watch, and you stand their and laugh at this?!"

"What kind of friend are you?" Nikkie demanded as she glared at him through tear-filled eyes.

"Didn't you say you loved her?" Yusuke yelled. "So she dies and it's a laughing matter?"

"You disgust me fox-man," Kuwabara scolded with a glare of his own. Youko blinked back his surprise before he burst out laughing again. The others stopped and stared at him. Maybe he was just in denial. "I wonder if that's just his way of coping," Kuwabara whispered to Yusuke.

Youko pointed to the limp figure in Hiei's arms. "That silly girl has you all fooled! Did you honestly think something like this could do her in?"

"Youko you idiot!" Everyone turned to Ali. "You ruined it!!" She leapt from Hiei's arms to tackle the kitsune to the ground.

"Ali..."

"Uh-oh," she muttered as she turne around to see them all glaring at her. She immediately got off Youko and ran across the field as they chased after her.

"Get back here, dammit!" someone yelled. She laughed as she ran and her friends grinned. Their Ali was alive and back to normal. She suddnely turned around with a smirk and ran headlong into them. They scattered and jumped out of the way before jumping back and tackling her to the ground.

"You big jerk!" Nikkie mock-yelled as she hugged her best friend. "You had us all worried sick!" The others also reprimanded her for giving them all a scare with her antics.

Once he was sure she was fine, Hiei went over to Sayuri's body on the other side of the battlefield. Her once black hair now had streaks of white in it. Nikkie spotted him watching over the body and walked over to talk with him. She closed her eyes and bowed her head as she stood next to him. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" he replied without taking his eyes off his once-lover.

She opened her eyes and also gazed at the lifeless body before them. "I said many terrible things about her. I cared so much for Ali that I never once thought that maybe she was just like me, scared to lose something she loved." She paused for a moment to look at him. "And she did love you. That's apparent to me now. But I can't help to think that maybe she's actually happy now. She wanted so much for her and Ali to become one powerful being." She looked back to Sayuri's body and Hiei followed her gaze from there to Ali. "She got her wish."

He watched Ali for a few moments as she talked and laughed with their friends. She was smilling again and it warmed him inside to see her so happy. A part of him hoped that one day he would be capable of such emotions, and he knew that if it were at all possible that she would be the one to bring about that change in him.

She seemed to notice him staring at her and walked over to join him and Nikkie. The remaining Tantei followed her as well. She stood silently for a brief moment before she spoke. "Sai was my sister, my twin. Even though she's dead now, she isn't really gone. I can feel her inside me." Youko put his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him and smiled. "Would you please carry her for me?"

He nodded and liften the light body. "Come on, let's get back to Koenma's," he said. Together they walked back to the portal they had taken to get into the Makai. Ali led the way with Hiei and Youko on either side of her, Sayuri's limp body in the latter's arms. Soon they were back at Koenma's office.

He and Botan had been waiting for them. When they walked in, Botan ran to Ali and hugged her. "I'm so sorry." She released her from the embrace and said, "I know how much you didn't want this to happen."

Ali shrugged. "It's ok. It had to be done. You can't fight fate." She smiled. "Besides, she was getting out of control, I had to do something."

"Yes, indeed." Koenma sighed. "Well, I suppose you can all go home now. The war is over and we have nothing left to do at the moment."

Ali protested. "No! There's one more thing. We need to give Sai a proper funeral." She had tears in her eyes and no one felt it right to deny her this one wish. Koenma nodded his consent and made the arrangments.

It was a small funeral, just the Tantei, Ali, Nikkie, Yuki, and the girls. Even though they hadn't approved of Sayuri's intentions of killing Ali, they had all been friends at the beginning. Ali's kind eulogy left them all silent and reminiscent. Even Hiei thought back to his days with her. In truth, he had probably loved Sayuri. There was no doubt in his mind that he would still have loved her had he not met Ali. He didn't believe he would miss her, but when Ali spoke so sweetly of her, he realized that a part of him always would.

After the funeral, Ali went to her cliff by the sea. The others had all returned home. Nikkie returned to Makai. Yuki moved into Ali's apartment, much to Hiei's dismay. He allowed it, however, because Ali was happy to be reunited with her childhood friend and glad to have him stay with her.

She had reverted back to her human form once again except for some reason she couldn't mask her hair. The silver refused to go brown and the purple and black streaks were just as stubborn. She didn't mind too much. At least her demonic characteristics weren't still visible. She had chosen to remain in the ningenkai and continue on with a somewhat normal human life. She'd lived there for the better part of a decade and was not ready to leave it just yet.

Hiei joined her as she stood on the edge, enjoying the cool breeze. She closed her eyes and listened to the waves crashing on the sands below. She inhaled the scent of salt water which mingled with his own unique scent that tickled her nose. She took his hand and squeezed it gently. "So what now?" he asked as they looked out over the water. "Now that you have all the power, do you think they'll just leave you alone?"

She chuckled. "Of course not. This is only the beginning." She moved in front of him and embraced him, resting her head on his shoulder, taking in his scent with each breath. "We'll get through this though." She smiled and looked up at him as she repeated words he'd spoken to her what seemed like an eternity ago. "We don't go down so easily."

He grinned and leaned in to kiss her just as he had the first time when he'd said the same thing to her. She slinked her arms up around his neck as she returned his kiss and lost herself in the moment. She felt empowered knowing he cared for her, even though she knew he would never show it otherwise. They would have a difficult life together, but she knew they would get through it. For the first time in years, she was truly happy.

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_A/N: And there you have it. The stunning conclusion to __Dangerous Secrets__. I once again apologise for taking so long to get it to you. It's been over four years since I posted the first chapter. If I ever finish/type the sequel, I won't post it until I've typed up every chapter, so at least it won't be years before I finish getting chapters to you. I do hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Perhaps one day I'll go through and revise earlier chapters so that they are just as decent to read as the latest chapters have been. Again, to those of you that have been with me since the beginning, thank you for your reviews and you support! I love you all!!_

_~Your Humble Authoress_


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